Yet I will rejoice

This week we are asked to meditate on:

Habakkuk 2:14

For the earth will be filled

    with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord

    as the waters cover the sea.

So two parallels are being constructed: one between the earth and the sea and one between the glory of the Lord and the water.  Be careful not to confuse the two.  The focus is not that the water fails to cover the entire earth, but rather that the water so completely and so deeply covers the sea.

Also be careful to recognize the time.  The focus was not the present but rather the future.  This prophet was in the midst of the terror that was the Babylonians.  This verse is in the midst of four woes that condemned their actions.  He was not speaking from the lofty mountain of success but from the deepest valley of turmoil.  The time at which he prophesied was full of uncertainty.

Despite that Habakkuk spoke with absolute certainty about what was to come.  That the glory of man is temporary, that the voices of the idols are silent, and that salvation would come from the Lord.

And it is that salvation that will bring glory to the Lord.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

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,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the deer's;

    he makes me tread on my high places.

In the deepest valleys there are even deeper rivers that flow to even deeper seas, none of which are sufficient to hold the glory of our Lord.

Love that is not blind

Today we are asked to meditate on:

1 Peter 1:8

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

Having three daughters and a wife I have seen more than my fair share of romantic comedies. A common theme is that love blinds one to the actions of the other and as it fades the habits and quirks surface. 

Our verse today is quite different. We don’t get to see the object of our love and that sightless love rather than being blind is filled with joy that, though inexpressible, is “glorified”.  This verb is the word from which we get “doxology” and is past tense. Some translations add the word “full” to express the completeness. 

The object of the verb, however, is not God. Our joy is itself glorified. That is to say it has, like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, been glorified.  It has been transported from this earthly realm to its celestial home.  It has become what we will experience in eternity. 

Rest assured that this joy will not fade when our faith is replaced by sight. 

No shadow of doubt

This week as we start worship we are asked to meditate on:

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Often we think of "faith" in terms of what we believe: the inerrancy of scripture, the 5 Solas, or the Westminster Confession.  Or we might be asked, if we believe in creation or the virgin birth -- things that have occurred in the past.

But for his definition the writer of Hebrews points us instead to the future and defines faith about things that have yet to occur.

Christ did the same in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12):

Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

"Blessed" is past tense.  "comforted" is future tense.   

Faith is the assurance of our current blessed state because of what will happen in the future.  We often get that backwards and only point to our past (even to our most recent paycheck) to call ourselves "blessed".

The Beatitudes conclude with:

Matthew 5:11-12

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

In the midst of even persecution Christ calls us "blessed".

James echoed:

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

And, he went on to explain why we can have that assurance:

James 1:16-17 

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Each of these promises rest in the unchangeable nature of God, himself.  

So the next time you hear the dark phrase "shadow of doubt", remember that God is the Father of Lights and does not have a shadow.

Wash yourselves

Providentially, today we are asked to meditate on:

Isaiah 1:17

learn to do good;

seek justice,

    correct oppression;

bring justice to the fatherless,

    plead the widow's cause.

The verse leading up to it is:

Isaiah 1:16

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;

    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;

cease to do evil,

Jesus used this as a lesson for those who think they are already "clean".

Matthew 23:25-26

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

Our country is crying out for justice.

Take this opportunity to examine yourself.  Clean out whatever you find, so that we will be known in this community as having generous hearts that love justice.

Let us then approach . . .

Simply put, we need help.

Too often we rely on ourselves.  Too often we find our own resources insufficient for the day.

Jesus told the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).  It is a familiar story.  One son prematurely receives his inheritance and leaves home.  After wasting it, he returns to the open arms of his father.

We do have a place to go.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Why do we have this confidence?

Hebrews 4:15

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

God loves us.  Not only that, He understands us.

Let us then approach . . .