Monday, April 29, 2013

Day 7 of 21: A Blind Man Healed

A Blind Man Healed

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 
(Habakkuk 3:17, 18)

The book of Habakkuk is unique, in that unlike most prophets who were filled with messages, Habakkuk was filled with questions. Habakkuk wanted to know what God was doing and why. He was perplexed by the sin that was taking place in Judah and why it was going seemingly unpunished.  He questioned how a just God could use a wicked nation such as Babylon to punish the Apple of God’s Eye (Zechariah 2:8), His beloved people. It was very apparent that Judah was inundated with sin and darkness. Habakkuk was heavy laden with the thought that the wicked were prospering without judgment, while the righteous suffered in darkness. God, in His grace, allowed Habakkuk to question Him, and twice God answered him in return. The Lord Himself assured him that He would establish His kingdom. And in the establishing of His kingdom God would hold all people accountable for their actions.

In the midst of my trials, I have lost sight of what is true and what is right (Philippians 4:8). In as much as God has spoken to me about having trust and faith in seasons of plenty and in want, I have failed to do that very thing. I have deliberately questioned God out of frustration for seeing the wicked prosper in an a season where I believed they should be judged. My trials and tribulations have revealed a very weak-willed and spineless faith. A faith that is exercised on the mountain tops, but falters in the valleys. It is living proof that though I am in pursuit of God, I do not truly understand Him or love Him with every part of my being. It is a reality that has shaken me at my core. Something that causes me to question much of what I do and why I do it.

Habakkuk was brought to a place in His life in which he could exalt the Lord to His rightful place in complete joy without fear. Fear is a product of not trusting in God. Rejoicing is the product of one who has his affections set on God, with one focus, and only one goal in mind. In verse 18 Habakkuk proclaims, I will joy in Elohim, meaning the All-Sufficient God, the God who is able to provide for every need, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. He is the God in whom we can proclaim, When all is gone, He is not gone. We can sit upon the heap of ruins this world provides and yet have joy everlasting, rejoicing in the God who is able to provide for every need, the God who is coming to establish His Kingdom for eternity.  The prophet who begun his prayer with fear and trembling ends with joy and adoration. He ends with a faith that could not be shaken. Elohim is our balm for every wound, an ointment poured upon our soul, shedding its fragrance in and around us. 

My prayer today is one of repentance. One of shame and remorse for my lack of faith and trust in God who has proven Himself time and time again, not only through the Scriptures, but in my own life. It is a great reminder that darkness can subtly set in and blind me so slowly that I do not realize I am blind until I find myself completely enveloped in darkness. The ointment that is provided through the continual seeking after God through His word and prayer provides the healing power necessary to not only prevent blindness, but to heal the one who has been blinded. Light and darkness cannot co-exist. Let us rejoice in the fact that darkness can be so easily and quickly dispelled so as to remove the scales from any blind man willing to receive sight. It takes only 1 pinhole of light to dispel darkness. Lord, allow so many pinholes in my life that darkness is forced to flee!
.:La Chula:.



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