D’S POWER: TURNING WORRY TO WORSHIP. Introduction The prophetic books in the Bible such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos, Micah etc, are unique for taking God’s message to people and nations. But the book of Habakkuk is different. Rather than taking God’s message to the people, prophet Habakkuk took his own worry to God about people’s wickedness in the land of Judah. God revealed Himself to Habakkuk in a vision (Hab.1:1) and his worry turned to worship (Hab.3:18). Worry can deprive you of the joy of worship. Thus, you need to learn from prophet Habakkuk to always take your worry to God who will take you beyond worry to the joy of worship. A life that full of worry cannot worship God. The message in Habakkuk for us today is that God is able to turn your situations of worry to a remarkable worship experience of Him. This is the focus of this edition. Worry Over Wickedness Prophet Habakkuk cried to God about the situation in the land of Judah (Hab.1:2). He could not understand why the God of justice will tolerate destruction and violence that the wicked people were oppressing the righteous (Hab.1:3-4). God told Habakkuk that He would perform wonders out of his worry (Hab. 1:5). God would raise another nation that is more wicked (the Babylonia) to punish the people of Judah (Hab. 1:6). Are you worried over all manners of wicked acts in the society today from the leadership down to an individual? That should not turn you to a wicked person. God will surely judge every act of wickedness of men upon the earth. Worry Over Punishment Habakkuk became more worry that God would use a pagan nation of Babylon to punish His own people (Hab.1:12). Habakkuk cried to God again that the people of Judah were more righteous than the Babylonians (Hab.1:13). The Israelites prefer God to punish them directly than through pagan nations (2 Sam.24:13-14). But God is not partial; He has used the nation of Israel on many occasions to punish other nations for their wickedness. Now that God’s people too have become wicked like other nations, God is right to punish them through a wicked nation as well. God is still punishing His people through Babylonia today when they become wicked. Worry Over Defeat The worry of Habakkuk now shifted to the defeat that Judah will suffer from the Babylonians as if God is not there again as their defender (Hab.1:14). The Babylonians will rejoice and celebrate if God permit them to conquer Jerusalem (Hab. 1:15). They will also attribute their success to their military power and sacrifice to their gods (Hab. 1:16). How painful it is for God’s people to be defeated by ungodly nations as a result of sins. Are you suffering defeat in the hands of wicked powers because you have abandoned the way of God? You need to change and return to God. Wickedness opens doors of defeat to people and nations that take the grace of God for granted (Hab. 1:17). From Worry to Revelation In dilemma of Habakkuk’s confusion, God revealed to him that the lives of the wicked are crooked but the righteous will live by faith (Hab. 2:4). God revealed to Habakkuk that sorrow awaits thieves who acquire properties by stealing (Hab. 2:6); that sorrow awaits people who ruin others to acquire wealth and build security around themselves, they will also come to ruin (Hab. 2:9-11); that sorrow awaits those who are responsible for bloodshed and crime in a city (Hab. 2:12); that sorrow awaits people who worship idols instead of the living God (Hab. 2:19-20). Do you believe that you can survive in such a time like this by faith in God? The righteous are still living by faith! From Worry to Confession God’s power came upon prophet Habakkuk and moved him from worry to confession of mighty works of God. He confessed that God is merciful and pleaded for God’s mercy upon Judah rather than escape from punishment (Hab. 3:2). He confessed that the glory of God covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth (Hab. 3:3). He confessed that the power of God shook the earth, made the nations tremble and crumble the ancient mountains. He confessed that God is eternal (Hab. 3:6). He now realized that all nations including Babylon are under God’s control! You also need God’s power to revive your life from the spirit of worry. From Worry to Worship Habakkuk surrendered to God because he could not change what God had decided. He resolved to wait for the day in which God will punish the Babylonians too (Hab. 3:16). Habakkuk resolved not worry again but to worship the LORD even when the crops fail and animals are dead (Hab. 3:17). What matter to Habakkuk in the remaining days of his life is how he will rejoice in the LORD and find joy in God who is able to save him (Hab. 3:18). While the punishment of God would come upon Judah, Habakkuk resolved to worship the LORD. It is time you stop to worry about those issues and ask God for the grace to worship Him the more. From Worry to Strength God replaced the worry of Habakkuk with strength and confidence in a difficult time. He stood firm in a rough and dangerous terrain of evil and wickedness (Hab. 3:19). Habakkuk had asked God why righteous people suffer while evil people prosper. God told him that the righteous are to live by faith, an indication that they do not suffer in the long run. Habakkuk saw his own limitation in contrast to God’s unlimited power over the universe. It is better to turn to God in a difficult time and find strength to stand than to conform to evil and wickedness of the day. Conclusion There are lots of issues in life that are bound to worry you as long as you live. But you have to be sincere like prophet Habakkuk and relate those worry to God. You also need to resolve to rejoice in the LORD as you continue to worship Him all the day of your life. Till I meet you in the next edition. ‘Yode Ogunmola (Revd.) Church Pastor. 08029524967; 08183985096; 07031121220 pastorolayode@gmail Like · · Follow Post · See Friendship D’S POWER: TURNING WORRY TO WORSHIP. Introduction The prophetic books in the Bible such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos, Micah etc, are unique for taking God’s message to people and nations. But the book of Habakkuk is different. Rather than taking God’s message to the people, prophet Habakkuk took his own worry to God about people’s wickedness in the land of Judah. God revealed Himself to Habakkuk in a vision (Hab.1:1) and his worry turned to worship (Hab.3:18). Worry can deprive you of the joy of worship. Thus, you need to learn from prophet Habakkuk to always take your worry to God who will take you beyond worry to the joy of worship. A life that full of worry cannot worship God. The message in Habakkuk for us today is that God is able to turn your situations of worry to a remarkable worship experience of Him. This is the focus of this edition. Worry Over Wickedness Prophet Habakkuk cried to God about the situation in the land of Judah (Hab.1:2). He could not understand why the God of justice will tolerate destruction and violence that the wicked people were oppressing the righteous (Hab.1:3-4). God told Habakkuk that He would perform wonders out of his worry (Hab. 1:5). God would raise another nation that is more wicked (the Babylonia) to punish the people of Judah (Hab. 1:6). Are you worried over all manners of wicked acts in the society today from the leadership down to an individual? That should not turn you to a wicked person. God will surely judge every act of wickedness of men upon the earth. Worry Over Punishment Habakkuk became more worry that God would use a pagan nation of Babylon to punish His own people (Hab.1:12). Habakkuk cried to God again that the people of Judah were more righteous than the Babylonians (Hab.1:13). The Israelites prefer God to punish them directly than through pagan nations (2 Sam.24:13-14). But God is not partial; He has used the nation of Israel on many occasions to punish other nations for their wickedness. Now that God’s people too have become wicked like other nations, God is right to punish them through a wicked nation as well. God is still punishing His people through Babylonia today when they become wicked. Worry Over Defeat The worry of Habakkuk now shifted to the defeat that Judah will suffer from the Babylonians as if God is not there again as their defender (Hab.1:14). The Babylonians will rejoice and celebrate if God permit them to conquer Jerusalem (Hab. 1:15). They will also attribute their success to their military power and sacrifice to their gods (Hab. 1:16). How painful it is for God’s people to be defeated by ungodly nations as a result of sins. Are you suffering defeat in the hands of wicked powers because you have abandoned the way of God? You need to change and return to God. Wickedness opens doors of defeat to people and nations that take the grace of God for granted (Hab. 1:17). From Worry to Revelation In dilemma of Habakkuk’s confusion, God revealed to him that the lives of the wicked are crooked but the righteous will live by faith (Hab. 2:4). God revealed to Habakkuk that sorrow awaits thieves who acquire properties by stealing (Hab. 2:6); that sorrow awaits people who ruin others to acquire wealth and build security around themselves, they will also come to ruin (Hab. 2:9-11); that sorrow awaits those who are responsible for bloodshed and crime in a city (Hab. 2:12); that sorrow awaits people who worship idols instead of the living God (Hab. 2:19-20). Do you believe that you can survive in such a time like this by faith in God? The righteous are still living by faith! From Worry to Confession God’s power came upon prophet Habakkuk and moved him from worry to confession of mighty works of God. He confessed that God is merciful and pleaded for God’s mercy upon Judah rather than escape from punishment (Hab. 3:2). He confessed that the glory of God covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth (Hab. 3:3). He confessed that the power of God shook the earth, made the nations tremble and crumble the ancient mountains. He confessed that God is eternal (Hab. 3:6). He now realized that all nations including Babylon are under God’s control! You also need God’s power to revive your life from the spirit of worry. From Worry to Worship Habakkuk surrendered to God because he could not change what God had decided. He resolved to wait for the day in which God will punish the Babylonians too (Hab. 3:16). Habakkuk resolved not worry again but to worship the LORD even when the crops fail and animals are dead (Hab. 3:17). What matter to Habakkuk in the remaining days of his life is how he will rejoice in the LORD and find joy in God who is able to save him (Hab. 3:18). While the punishment of God would come upon Judah, Habakkuk resolved to worship the LORD. It is time you stop to worry about those issues and ask God for the grace to worship Him the more. From Worry to Strength God replaced the worry of Habakkuk with strength and confidence in a difficult time. He stood firm in a rough and dangerous terrain of evil and wickedness (Hab. 3:19). Habakkuk had asked God why righteous people suffer while evil people prosper. God told him that the righteous are to live by faith, an indication that they do not suffer in the long run. Habakkuk saw his own limitation in contrast to God’s unlimited power over the universe. It is better to turn to God in a difficult time and find strength to stand than to conform to evil and wickedness of the day. Conclusion There are lots of issues in life that are bound to worry you as long as you live. But you have to be sincere like prophet Habakkuk and relate those worry to God. You also need to resolve to rejoice in the LORD as you continue to worship Him all the day of your life. Till I meet you in the next edition. ‘Yode Ogunmola (Revd.) Church Pastor. 08029524967; 08183985096; 07031121220 pastorolayode@gmail Like · · Follow Post · See Friendship
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 11:59:03 +0000
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