FAITH IN THREE LETTERS
Text: Habakuk 3:18
June 21, 2020
Riverside Church of Christ
Intro:
What if you could see the future, what will you do?
This is the question of Clark Kent to his mom – Martha in Smallville series.
Clark: Mom, if you could see anything, what would you do?
Martha: Learn to close my eyes
Our message today is about the prophet Habakkuk in dealing with the case much like Clark and the question we had just discussed…..
The name Habakkuk means “to embrace” and we know little of Habakkuk beyond the two mentions of his name in this book of prophecy. Both times, he identified himself as “Habakkuk the prophet” (Habakkuk 1:1; 3:1), and also to believe as a TEMPLE MUSICIAN because he had his own instrument. But the rest, - unlike other prophets; no father, no tribe, no address and others things are not mentioned.
Habakkuk was commissioned to foretell the invasion and destruction of the land by the Chaldeans. The northern kingdom of Israel had already gone into captivity to Assyria, and God was going to discipline the southern kingdom of Judah through the Babylonians.
I can imagine how this prophet reacted after God showed him these visions. This will cause him great misery after seeing the coming troubles for God’s people. And it is very unusual to a prophet to question God.. – But He did. After seeing all the injustices among his people – He question God.
Habakkuk 1:2 Amplified Bible (AMP)
O Lord, how long will I call for help
And You will not hear?
I cry out to You, “Violence!”
Yet You do not save.
Note:
Most of the times we find ourselves also questioning God about the distressing situations we are in. And some find themselves QUITING THE FAITH not because they don’t like God but it simply they get TIRED of finding themselves the solution to every challenge of life; without understanding and waiting for the Lord to rescue them.
Unlike Habakkuk – even though he question God, he never gave up his faith. He believed that God would accomplish in his lifetime WHAT WAS NECESSARY.
Habakkuk 2:2-4 New Century Version (NCV)
The Lord Answers
2 The Lord answered me:
“Write down the vision;
write it clearly on clay tablets
so whoever reads it can run to tell others.
3 It is not yet time for the message to come true,
but that time is coming soon;
the message will come true.
It may seem like a long time,
but be patient and wait for it,
because it will surely come;
it will not be delayed.
4 The evil nation is very proud of itself;
it is not living as it should.
But those who are right with God will live by faith.
Despite of all the hardship he anticipated, HABAKKUK found CAUSE for rejoicing simply because OF WHO GOD IS in a THREE SIMPLE BUT PROFOUND LETTERS OF FAITH.,
“YET”
(gayunman/kahiman)
Habakkuk 3:18 New International Version (NIV)
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
And one of the BEST DEFINITION OF YET is….. gives YET ANOTHER REASON.
Meaning … all the hardships and difficulties is another reasons
to REJOICE AND WORSHIP GOD OUR SAVIOR.
And that is FAITH. It is the ability to feel so sure of God, that, no matter how dark the day, there is no doubt as to the outcome. For God’s people there is a GLORIOUS FUTURE. It may be a long way off. But it is absolutely Sure.
This morning I have the opportunity to share with you that THREE LETTERS OF FAITH and see our lives living on it with GOD’S PROVIDENCE AND GUIDANCE AND CARE.
I. Yearning (nananabik, pananabik)
Psalm 42:1 International Children’s Bible (ICB)
42 A deer thirsts for a stream of water.
In the same way, I thirst for you, God.
When deer drink stream water, they stand calmly in one place - Enjoying the coolness and freshness of the water – the deer (Hart-male deer) humble bow down his heads and yearns for cool drinking water. AND IT SATISFY HIM. And so with David – His soul THIRST FOR GOD.
Deer do not need to be trained to drink water. Thirst, and a knowledge of how to satisfy that thirst, comes naturally to them. And surely that the thirst of our soul for God comes naturally to us as well. Everyone is searching for a way to have that thirst satisfied.
Are you yearning for GOD? He alone can satisfy your hunger and thirst. – coz HE IS THE BREAD OF LIFE AND THE RIVER OF LIFE.
II. Enlightenment (naliwanagan, paliwanag)
Ephesians 1:18 ESV
Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know
what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches
of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:18 International Children’s Bible (ICB)
18 I pray that you will have greater understanding in your heart.
Then you will know the hope that God has chosen to give us.
I pray that you will know that the blessings God has promised
his holy people are rich and glorious.
Spiritual enlightenment comes when you realize that walking your path with God - is a joyful experience in itself because, you know exactly where you are going and have no doubt that you will get there. Meaning bukas ang iyong kaisipan sa mga mensahe ng buhay at kung papaano ito matutugunan sa isang maagpalang pamumuhay. ARAW-ARAW.
Another image is walking a physical path toward a goal that is thousands of kilometers away. All the troubles, worrying of everything is nothing. If you can focus on the progress rather than worrying about the weather, or if the day is sunny or raining, or if the uphill section is rocky, then each step can be joyful.
With this kind of faith that is enlightened – we can celebrate the progress made with each joyful step.
III. Transformation
(the act of changing in form or shape or appearance- pagbabago/pagiging)
The key to transformation is Christ living in us. Human beings, it seems, have always been afraid of change. Change is inevitable, and while some changes are bad, many of them are good. Not all change represents progress, but without change there can be no progress.
Change is often unpleasant because it means surrendering what is familiar and leaving behind what we once valued. We often prefer to live by man-made rules that we think are constant and unchangeable. But God wants us to be controlled by his Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit living within us has the power to change us from one degree of glory to the next.
What is God asking you to change in your life? Only when you and I change will we become God’s change agents in this world.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.
And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh
and give you a heart of flesh.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed
by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern
what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you
will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
