"LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy." Habakkuk 3:2
Pastor referenced this verse last night in his message and I couldn't stop going back to re-read it. I'm still thinking about it this morning.
I know so many Christians who have been going through struggles this last year. Whether they're financial struggles similar to ours, or one of the many other problems that come along, it's like, well, it almost makes me think that the devil is trying to really mess us all up because his time is drawing to an end. It's like there's this invisible shield that's been very, very slowly beginning to fall down on believers, and the devil is doing everything he can to mess us up before that shield drops firmly into place and he's completely unable to do anything anymore. There IS something on the horizon, I can feel it, I can feel this apprehension in my spirit. Apprehension like when you're accelerating up the hill of a roller coaster, you're almost to that first rise, and your stomach feels like it's doing back flips- you're excited for what's to come, but at the same time, you're wondering if it was a good idea to get on this ride in the first place.
The thing I love about verses like this is that it IS in my Bible. All those years ago, there was someone else watching all this horrible stuff going on around him and he decided to talk to God about it. He reminded God of the amazing things He had done in the past, and asked Him to do them again. To show his love, once more, upon the chosen people. I'm sure that Habakkuk was thinking of the Israelites flight out of Egypt, and how God made water to flow from a rock. I'm sure he was thinking of Esther, and how her bravery saved an entire race from annihilation. I'm sure he was thinking of King Solomon, and how there was such peace in the land during his reign. And as Habakkuk looked around and saw the destruction and the sorrow, he asked God to remember.
I've been having similar thoughts as we ride closer and closer to Christmas and the New Year coming. One of the things that we as Christians are supposed to do is be a light to the world around us. It's kind of hard for us to be that light when we've got our own struggles keeping us from doing so. And it's happening to so many! While it can be easy to get caught up in our own individual struggles, when I look around, the struggles of the many are so tangible. The fact is, we can't do it on our own. We can't get through these low times on our own, and I'm filled with eager anticipation for the testimonies to start rolling in. As I read this prayer from Habakkuk, it was a fabulous prayer then, and it's a fabulous prayer now. It is my prayer that as a whole, God will look upon His people and will lift each and every one out of the tribulations that are threatening to suck the life out of us. Now won't that be an amazing day, the day He sets the captives free.
And then we can talk about it. We can share with everyone we meet how God took care of us and erased the struggles, and it will just be so cool that those who are in need in the world around us will seek us out and will want to know how we did it. And we can look at them with a glint in our eye and tell them that we had nothing to do with it, that it was all God, and the masses will turn to God because they just can't deny that they've seen His Goodness upon our lives. Many, many people have heard about the fame of God. So many people know the Bible stories, have spent time in a church, but have turned away, because they just haven't experienced the real and living God. Something happened to rock their faith and they just couldn't shake it. The day is coming when the awe of His deeds is going to sweep across the nations, and it's coming soon. I look forward to the day when I can shout from the rooftops that my enemies have been vanquished by the Rock of Ages. That will be an amazing day, and it is coming. It is coming!
"LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy." Habakkuk 3:2
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