Be Confident—THE LORD JESUS CHRIST—IS REALLY WHO HE SAYS HE IS!
Have you ever found yourself turning to the left and then to the right, comparing this to that, striving to draw the two side-by-side, when in actuality, the two cannot be compared, nor drawn together, try as you might.
- God knew we would face struggles.
- God knew exactly what reminder we would need whenever this life-dilemma arose, and so God gave us the words we would need through His prophet Habakkuk’s prayer to the LORD.
Now, if you are like me, then the prophet’s words may not have been the Scripture we have not turned most readily to read, but today, I believe the prophet’s words are what we (what I) need most.
“A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.
[a poetic form filled with emotion]
LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear.
O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy.”
(Habakkuk 3: 1-2 NASB)
Then God’s prophet begins to list all the many ways the LORD has delivered His people. He writes a prayer that spans fourteen verses, words that I will not type here but hope (like me) we take time to read.
Toward the end of the prophet’s prayer, he voices his confidence in the LORD.
Be Confident—THE LORD JESUS CHRIST—IS REALLY WHO HE SAYS HE IS!
“Though the fig tree should not blossom
(Habakkuk 3: 17 NASB)
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,”
- God knew we would face struggles.
- God knew exactly what reminder we would need whenever this life-dilemma arose, and so He positioned His prophet Habakkuk’s heart exactly where this child of God could get serious with the LORD.
The prophet Habakkuk prayed in the context of a farmer and herdsman. Today, as I read, I read in the context of who I am—a wife, a mother, a friend, a teacher & a daughter.
- Though my spouse be lost to me.
- Though my health that I love suddenly is ravaged with disease, cancer, or pain.
- Though my children turn away and walk the other way, totally away from the way I know they should go.
- Though my friends lose interest and find excuses for the time we once shared.
- Though my livelihood, the job that I have been trained to do, is stripped away from my grasp.
- Though my family turns their back on me and I face the truth that I have lost everyone dear to me from my childhood.
- Though my bank account has nothing left to sustain my needs.
Even though—LORD—Will we raise our hands in praise?
Even though—LORD—Will we bow down in prayer?
Even though—LORD—Will we raise our voices in witness of Your Grace?
Even though—LORD—WE WILL NOT turn our backs on YOU LORD!
- When someone comes up and asks us: From where do you gain your strength?
- When another sees life knock us down and ask: Now what will you do?
- When the watching world sees our established life crumble down around us at our feet.
- When our family, our friends, our children, and our future seems so bleak.
- When we just don’t really understand why we are suffering & could easily turn to despair.
When we even know in our heart, we are barely holding onto our composure—Let us (like the prophet of God)—Habakkuk—Lift our voices, bow on our knees, offer our prayer to our LORD.
“Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my
salvation.
The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.”
(Habakkuk 3: 18-19 NASB)
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself encouraged His disciples to see exactly what they were committing to do when they said: ‘Yes, Lord, I will follow You.’
Listen to the words of our Savior, of our Lord, of JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.
Be Confident—THE LORD JESUS CHRIST—IS REALLY ALL WE EVER NEED!
Be Confident—THE LORD JESUS CHRIST—IS REALLY WHO HE SAYS HE IS!
“After that He went out . . .
[after Jesus performed a miracle of healing, physically making the man to walk again & spiritually saving the paralytic man’s heart who was brought to Jesus on a stretcher by his friends]
and [JESUS] noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.”
And he left everything behind,
[Matthew, the tax collector called Levi left all that he knew & all that he trusted in to meet his needs]
and got up and began to follow Him.”
(Luke 5: 27-28 NASB)
Be Confident—THE LORD JESUS CHRIST—IS REALLY WHO HE SAYS HE IS!
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST—IS REALLY ALL WE EVER NEED!