For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
M.O.M.: Ephesians 4:31
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.(English Standard Version)
Today's reading: HABAKKUK 1-3 REVELATION 15
Take It All
I have heard many references to this passage from Habakkuk, chapter 3:
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places.
My guess is that not many can remember what the previous 2 verses say without a search and read. Right? Here they are:
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
Back up and read all three verses. In my mind as I read this, I hear what Job said:
Job 13:15 ►Though he slay me, yet will I hope(trust) in him;
Another good thing about these holidays is that, hopefully, they remind us of what should be going on in our hearts everyday. We should be thankful for the gift of the Christ-child everyday. We should give expecting nothing in return everyday. Our prayers should be for those who have no place to stay, (in the inn), and sleep in a cardboard cover under a bridge. We should feel blessed for the people in our lives all the time.
We should seek God diligently until we get a mind-picture of Heaven and the heavens filled with singing in a glorious home not made with human hands(that will never have to be upgraded by some process shown on the DIY channels.)
At the same time our neighbors and brothers and sisters in the faith around the world live the reality of Habakkuk 3. Many have had flocks stolen and lands confiscated. They have seen no fruit or crops in recent times. Their countries are in war with themselves and Christians are not wanted. So, these folks live the old testament horrors of the raiding enemies.
Yet, these simple folks of profound and rock-solid faith hold fast. They have no comforts from the world-no joy from their surroundings-yet they say:
"I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation".
Some say this right up until the time their enemies end their lives.
So, I ask, "What gives us a right to complain about our circumstances?" I am not saying we should not work to make things better-emphasis on work-that is how we got where we are as a country-working to make things better.
Like the old song says, "A lot less talkin'..."
The Lord desires our obedience-not our great arguments.
1 Samuel 15:22 It is better to obey the Lord than to offer sacrifices to him. It is better to listen to him than to offer the fat from rams.
Mikah 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?....8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?…
We must live in God's guarantee. The whole world can and may change around us but God's unending love for us will never change. This is the faith we must strive for. We must be willing to say to the world,
"Take it all"... "because all I need is in God and no one can touch that."
No matter what, "I will trust Him".
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven,
Forgive me my complaining. Give me a vision and desire and resolve to trust You no matter what.
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