Prophets and Sculptors and Turtles (Oh My!)

“I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.  The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” - Habakkuk 3

Last week we examined what the prophet Jeremiah was all about.  Today, we take a closer look at one of my favorite names from the Old Testament: Habakkuk.  While he’s traditionally considered a minor prophet, he nonetheless managed to create a poetic book of three short but prosaic chapters that found their way into the Bible.  A statue of the prophet by the Renaissance sculptor, Donatello (ironically also the name of my favorite ninja turtle), still stands in Florence.  The Jews consider him a member of the Levite tribe, which served as musicians in the Temple.  He was an artist and a composer.  Perhaps this is why the final chapter of his book is a song of prayer.  And hear this . . . Habakkuk is thought to be unique from the other prophets because he acted very much like many of us routinely do: after regularly witnessing injustice and inaction, he openly questioned the wisdom of God.

One of the things I feel most guilty about in my faith on a regular basis is a common element of the human condition.  I question why God allows such terrible and tragic things to happen and why He doesn’t act quickly and decisively to correct these evils and bring the world back out of chaos and into the balance we so desperately crave.  Life can be difficult and perplexing.  We lose friends and family.  We’re cheated and mistreated.  We’re horrified at acts of terror and aggression.  And we see bad things happen repeatedly, time and again, over and over, to people we consider the salt of the earth.  Who hasn’t?  As a result, who hasn’t knee-jerked by blurting out words and prayers of harsh and accusing words at the Creator of all we hold dear?

Habakkuk felt the same way thousands of years ago - angry, confused and full of doubt and fear as his people were overrun by the enemy.  Yet when we examine the third and final chapter, we find a prophet who, no matter how bleak the future may appear, has heard and seen enough from God to know unquestionably that He is a God deserving of our full and unstained trust.  Habakkuk turns 180 degrees from a posture of questions and blame to a spirit of praise and thanksgiving.  While we are free to question the events that surround us, we must remember that we’re not always meant to know His ways as intimately as we may selfishly and arrogantly presume.  It’s an unfortunate part of life when the bad times impact us harder than the good times.  Yet how remarkable is His love for us!  We’ve been given a life filled with the Holy Spirit and grounded in the love of Jesus Christ so much so that we can’t help but praise God even during life’s tragedies.  No matter how little we understand at the time, we thank God for the bountiful blessings that we tend to so quickly forget.  Things as simple as waking up to life every day and every breath that fills our lungs.  And things as complicated and miraculous as a Messiah who would come to suffer and die for all our sins so that we might have eternal life in the kingdom of God, which has no end. 

May we all sing a joyful song like Habakkuk whether the storms of life are near or far.  And may we always turn to God as our shelter and our strength even “though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls.”  It’s at times like these when we need to pour all our trust into God and sing his praises loudly for all to hear.  Our examples of unwavering faith and service can be the subtle triggers that lead the lost sheep of Jesus back into His loving embrace and ever closer to His amazing promise.

Taunt Songs

Jeremiah is considered one of our faith’s major prophets, as well as the author of the Old Testament book of the same name. In addition to the Book of Jeremiah, the Book of Lamentations is a series of poems attributed to him following the destruction of Jerusalem.  He is held in such high esteem by the church that he’s been honored with his painted likeness by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Yet if there was one thing you should remember above all others about him, it is this - that Jeremiah extolled continuously cultivating an individual relationship with God.  Jeremiah lived during an extremely tumultuous time for the people of Israel.  Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and plundered and destroyed the Temple.  The people were sent into exile.  The city was overrun and lay in ruin, and the enemy was in total control.  It was a time without hope and a time without joy.  When you read some of the words that Jeremiah uses to lament His people’s despair, it’s hard to believe that even a trace of hope could survive.

“He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding; he led me off my way and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate; he bent his bow and set me as a mark for his arrow. He shot into my vitals the arrows of his quiver; I have become the laughing-stock of all my people, the object of their taunt-songs all day long.”

Wow!  What an amazing example of the written word capturing our deepest emotions and fears and recording it in a way that we can all relate to.  But Jeremiah was not a great prophet and strong man of God simply because he could bring to life the darkness his people faced.  Instead, we celebrate him because he was equally capable of trusting in a God who would not forget or disavow, reject or cast aside the children He created and loves with such enormity.  The same poem later includes this steadfast reminder of God’s long-term plan and trustworthiness.

“For the Lord will not reject forever. Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.”

A person’s true health (and, for that matter, the health of a community) can be measured physically, mentally and emotionally – but all of these measures rely exclusively on a positive spiritual human condition.  Jeremiah knew this.  He knew the darkness would fade to light and he knew that God’s love is the great antidote to all of life’s tragedy and misfortune.  And he wants us to know it also.  So take time today to count your blessings even when you find it difficult not to dwell on your troubles. Tear down any walls and barriers that prevent your relationship with God from expanding.  Thank Him for being a God who doesn’t turn away from the faithful even when our lives verge on crumbling.  Take time to pray for our broken bodies, our failing relationships, the unknown future of the church, our suffering communities, our weary souls, and for those who haven’t yet come to know the Lord.  Continue unceasingly with these healing prayers.  The combined power of prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit offers unfailing proof that it is indeed a new day now that Christ has come.  Christ is the gift that erases all injustice and gives hope for tomorrow and for all people.  Hallelujah!  God’s love for us is beyond amazing.

In God We Trust

In his second letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul eloquently laments that he is suffering for the gospel - the gospel that brought the story of Jesus Christ and His impossible grace to life for all of us.  But Paul is not ashamed of his suffering or his circumstances because he knows “the one in whom I have put my trust.”  So, in the midst of our suffering, who do we put our trust in today?  While we pray for trustworthiness in all our earthly institutions (governments, schools, stock markets, and even churches), all we really need do for a reminder of who to place our primary trust in is to take a look at any U.S. coin.  Engraved right on the face are the words “In God We Trust.”  It’s hard to imagine any four words ever uttered that are truer than these.  Yet at the same time, these words have been the source of great debate and division in our history. 

These famous words come from the third stanza to Francis Scott Key’s Star-Spangled Banner: “And this be our motto: In God is our trust.” The song came about as a result of Key’s eyewitness experience to the Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.  It was also during a time of great national upheaval in 1865, at the climax of the Civil War, when Congress moved to authorize the use of the phrase on U.S. coins and currency.  Again during a time of heightened world-wide political tension, President Eisenhower approved a joint resolution in 1956, in the midst of the Cold War, declaring the phrase to be our national motto.  And yet, not surprisingly, the phrase has had its share of detractors over the years.  Numerous opponents have cried foul over First Amendment constitutional objections.  And even our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, vehemently opposed the motto’s use, considering it sacrilege to put God’s name on money. 

National motto or not, and with political and ideological differences aside, it remains clear that, in times of great turmoil and uncertainty, suffering and tragedy, there is no greater help than an unwavering trust and faith in God.  As Congress declared in 1956, “... as long as we trust in God, we will prevail." After all, our God is a God who knows our fear and pain. An ever-present God who is forgiving and merciful and full of love.  An everlasting God who will not faint or grow weary.  A God who is the epitome of trustworthiness.  A God who delights in you and considers you His precious and divine masterpiece.  Trust the Lord, your God, and make His ways first before all others.  If we put our trust in Christ, living in His unmatched grace, then nothing and no one can stand against us.  Thanks be to God!

Waiting for the Crumbs to Fall . . .

One of  Jesus’ parables in Luke, Chapter 16 reminds us of the dramatic differences that still exist even today between classes of people across the globe and in our own home towns.  While one rich man feasts sumptuously every day of his fortunate life, another lies starving and suffering just outside the front door, waiting with the dogs for the other man’s crumbs to fall.  Too many of us turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the plight of the needy even when the striking evidence of their misery can be found just a few feet away. Yet Jesus warns us to heed His words and those of the prophets when we have the opportunity and the means to feed another.  If we don’t take His message and His pleas to heart, what awaits us after a life of selfishness and ignorance is an eternity of discomfort and agonizing regret.  Unfortunately, we don’t live in a time where Jesus walks among us as He did with the first disciples to regularly coach us on these things.  But this doesn’t mean He is dead to us.  Nor is His message outdated.  On the contrary, His word is timeless.  And as the David Crowder Band reminds us in the Daniel Bashta song “Like A Lion”, He’s surely alive today inside each of us, roaring like a lion.  Listen to His roar inside your heart and reach out to the hungry and the poor with food for their bodies and nourishment for their souls.  Feed them with the knowledge that He is alive and well in the world, vibrant and relevant inside each of us.  It’s not about us, but about His never-ending love and abundant mercy exemplified by our acts of kindness through the Holy Spirit.  Watch and see what happens.  One kind act after another will quickly become habit-forming and contagious and the roars of the lion will soon be answered by a deafening and heavenly rejoicing.  Praise be to God!

One Shrewd Dude

Jesus uses a parable in Luke's gospel to explain why money makes a poor boss.  One specific quote originates within this text that remains prophetic even today:  “No slave can serve two masters.”  Sound familiar?  As many of us have learned after years of hard knocks, you can’t serve both God and wealth.  You must choose.  Like the parable’s manager, we often become engrossed in our material wealth to a point where we desperately covet and worship things that have great monetary value but zero spiritual value.  As the shrewd manager found out too late, faith and dishonesty may seem like polar opposites but they have one thing in common.  They both demonstrate the principle that when someone exhibits a little of either, they will also exhibit much of the same under greater and more dire circumstances.  How often have we heard "It's just a little white lie" or "Nobody's going to miss this if I take it."  We're only kidding ourselves if we try to convince our consciences and each other that there are different shades of dishonesty.  Gray areas exist only in our minds.  In God's world, these things are black and white regardless of how we try to justify them.  Greed is a common breeding ground for dishonesty and the erosion of our faith's health.  Our wealth helps to make us comfortable in this life, but our faith is what will comfort us when the money disappears.  Use money as a resource for building up instead of tearing down.  Remember this the next time Satan's little temptations try to sway your point of view.  Faith is a priceless treasure that fills the purses of our souls and faith is how we will measure our true worth in God's kingdom. 

One > 99 ?

In the fifteenth chapter of Luke’s gospel, Jesus tells the Pharisees and scribes in no uncertain terms that “. . . there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.” As so often happens during His life, Jesus found himself scrutinized carefully for the company he kept. In this case, tax-collectors and sinners. But Jesus preached a gospel that was not just for the righteous and the believers. His message was for everyone and especially for those who don’t know God, those who are mired in sin, and those whose souls appear to the average onlooker to be eternally lost. We are all God’s children and His love for each of us knows no bounds. But just like the prodigal son’s father rejoiced upon his return, God and all His angels rejoice uncontrollably when the wayward make their way home to Him. Just as Jesus’ message is for everyone with no exceptions, so, too, are our churches. Not only should our doors be open to everyone regardless of their appearance or their sins, but so should our hearts. We can preach each and every Sunday to a packed room full of church members and that is a wonderful thing, but a balance must be struck to not rest on our laurels for all the souls that have already been won. We must expend time and energy and passion to reach out to the others in this world that are hurting and suffering because they don’t yet realize the endless love and eternal grace that are freely available from a Creator who desperately wants to reunite with all his sons and daughters. You and I can be His conduit to accomplish one of His greatest desires. Opportunities exist in the most unexpected times and places for us to be His instrument and to reach out His shepherd’s crook and gently pull one more lost sheep back into the fold of His amazing embrace. It’s not often that the number one is viewed as trumping 99. But in the business of lost soul acquisition, it’s the norm.

Follow the Leader

During the midst of His time here on Earth, Jesus had some strong words for the large crowd that followed Him. Jesus tells them in multiple ways that to truly follow Him is a lifelong investment. It’s a serious commitment that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Over the course of your faith journey, as you move closer and closer to God, you will inevitably be forced to give up the very things that mean so much to you here on Earth: your possessions, your relationships and ultimately your life. Our earthly blessings too often evolve into something dangerous that can keep us from moving closer to God. They can trap us and detour us from the path He clears for us to eternal joy. They can suddenly become an all-consuming focus. One that breeds selfishness and jealousy and denial. One that causes us to lose sight of the fact that His true promises for us extend far beyond this life. The material wealth we discard was always stamped with an expiration date. We can’t take it with us, right? And as for the relationships, if the ones we long to be with are truly dear and meaningful and valuable to us, then there’s good news. Everyone is invited to the experience of a lifetime and forever. Jesus calls us as he did those first humble fishermen to follow Him. He is calling you right now. Answer the call. And rest assured that the joy of what awaits us on the journey far exceeds the cost of what we leave behind. Hallelujah!