Saturday, February 7, 2015

Confidence = Taking Our Eyes Off Our Difficulties...And Looking To God

Habakkuk 3:1-3 -  A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth. 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. God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran.  His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth.

Habakkuk was so humbled by God’s answer that he began to praise God in awe and wonderment.  He gave thanks to God for his answer…even though it involved waiting for the best part….even though the waiting period was going to be filled with trial and pain. He prayed for God to just make his glory known in his time and watched as his vision gave him a glimpse of the glory of God in that moment.

Habakkuk’s happiness was not controlled by what happened around him. It was controlled by his complete faith in God alone.  His faith powered the hope he needed to wait patiently for God to keep his word….and bring an end to the evil he saw around him.  He listed every act of destruction he could think of…then made the faith filled declaration that he would rejoice no matter what. 

Habakkuk understood the secret of finding contentment in amid a storm of problems and a future of chaos.  He rejoiced in God as is savior and let God do all the worrying for him.  He trusted in the future of God’s promise…and accepted God’s unseen timeline of when it would happen.  He let God be his strength. He let faith power the hope he needed to get through the hardest stuff.

I admit that I needed this reminder last night. My problems are so puny compared to those around me…. I tend to let my spirit be sucked away by the pity party that forms….until God collides me with someone who has problems beyond my scope of understanding.  I need to learn to thank and praise him for all he has done…and stop thinking at all about the small things that are bothering me.  If I take my eyes off my difficulties and look up to God…he will give me the answers that  need as I praise him. He will add in an extra dose of confidence as well.

Father….thank you for the reminder that you are in control.  No matter what happens in my life…I can never forget the great things you have already done for me. Forgive me for letting the world suck me into that all to frequent pity party.  Help me to focus my heart and soul and mind and spirit constantly on  you so I can use your strength to power through the waiting time ….till your next promise is fulfilled in my life. Amen.

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