No true love stands without justice.   God must remain true to His righteous nature; therein, justice and truth must reign.  In the days of Jonah, God reached out to a cruel, unrighteous Nineveh with love.  Nineveh was a gentile city, the capital of the Assyrian Empire.  It was located where the modern-day Mosul.  He sent Jonah to foretell of their coming doom unless they repented of their sins.  Miraculously, they turned to God in repentance and the entire city was saved; because, of the revival that followed Jonah’s preaching.   That was somewhere between 100 to 150 years before the book of Nahum.  However, the revival was short lived; just as it was in Judea during the reign of Josiah.  Now, this gentile city once more faced judgement, as would Judah. Love could never be perfected unless justice and righteousness reigned.

God had saved the city of Nineveh; however, the light of truth only shown for a brief period and now Nahum predicts their demise.  God did not send Nahum to the city as He had Jonah. Why?  J. Vernon McGee remarks as to the difference:

He (God) sent Jonah to Ninevah because Nineveh was a great wicked city, but they were totally ignorant of God.  When the message was brought, the city turned to God, all the way from the king on the throne to the peasant in the hovel.  As a result, God spared the city.  Now 100 to 150 years have gone by, and the city has relapsed and returned back to its old way.  Why doesn’t Nahum go?  Because they have already had the light, and they’ve rejected it.¹

FROM LIGHT TO UTTER DARKNESS

Continue reading When Justice Must Reign for Love to Be Complete →

We cry out to God from the dark night, seeking Mercy.  However, He remains upon His throne.  Why is it that when all is well, we forget He is the only truth and light; without Him there is no hope of light!  Come, let us seek Him while it is still day; that, He may be the hope, the joy, and the light that guides our path.  I wrote this poem today, from a saddened heart.  All around us we see evil, anger and sorrow.  If only we would turn and run to our Savior, He has promised, “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

From the Dark of the Night, for Mercy We Cry

by Effie Darlene Barba

From the Dark of the Night, for Your Mercy We Cry

As we look to the heavens and scream out, “Lord, Why?”

Why so much evil, such suffering and pain

Won’t You reach down in Might, to this evil restrain

Before our dear nation doth fall like the rest

When we once had been known, as Christians, the best

Then God Replied,

“Look there around you, Oh, do you not see?

That You all have forgotten to focus on me

So, busy you run from life to and fro

While seeking great treasures and idols below

Have You forgotten I am the truth and the light?

Without me, there is only darkness of night!

 

When you shut out my presence all you will see

Is the evil that remains in the absence of me!

How is it then, that you would forget?

I AM all you need for peace, love and joy; yet

You only seek me when your life is beset

By sorrows so filled with pain and regret

 

Did I not give my all, that you might be set free?

From the evil and pain that you find without me

You struggle through trials so filled with strife

While I stand here to offer you a new life

From the nothingness, darkness is all that you see

While being can only be found in me

 

I sent you my Son who died on a cross

To pay for your sins, at such a high cost

Because of my love, I gave you my best

That then within me you your heart could find rest

There can never be Grace without Justice, you see

For evil does reign in the absence of me

 

I cannot deny my righteousness, child

For evil would then unchained run a wild

It is an act of my grace, the earth does still spin

Awaiting one more heart for to win

Turn from your sins and seek me, my face

There you will find such perfect love, joy and grace

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

In the absence of righteousness, pure evil exists.  That being true, why do we not seek God who is Righteousness.  Without Him, nothingness exists; blackness of the heart and soul.  Although, we may pretend or present ourselves as otherwise; because, His Grace has extended itself to reach out and demonstrate His Glory through men and women.  At times, even through those who have not believed.  However, if God removed His hand of  Grace for a second in time; this world would plunge into utter darkness, chaos as evil took over. So, we must turn from the dark night to seek His face!

ISAIAH 29:

 

¹⁵ Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

 

¹⁹ The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

 

²³ But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

²⁴ They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

ISAIAH 30

¹² Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:

¹³ Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

¹⁴ And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters’ vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.

¹⁵ For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

 

¹⁸ And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

¹⁹ For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

²⁰ And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

²¹ And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. Because there is nothing more important than this, I urge you to seek Him today.

OR ARE YOU IN OF NEED PRAYER?

If you have a prayer request email me by clicking here or comment here

OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE

If you want to know more about  books I have written:  You can read more about each one at: Book Resources.

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2017

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

 

Photo by Kelvin Smit on Unsplash

His questions answered, now Habakkuk stood before God.  God’s majesty, sovereignty, justice and righteousness shown forth in radiant Glory.  There could be no more questions of why? No asking God for His reasoning.  Now there was the reverent surrender to God’s plan as it was laid out before Him, knowing of God’s Grace throughout the ages that kept this planet suspended within the Universe.  The very creator of all, reigned with power and majesty.  The magnitude of seeing God’s Glory left Habakkuk with trembling fear. However, it filled his heart with overflowing hope, joy, and peace; because he also knew of God’s Grace. True faith requires one to see God in magnificent glory with trembling fear at His Majestic Righteousness and Might.  Then having seen His Glory, (as through a glass dimly 2 Cor. 3:18), our hearts are overwhelmed with His Grace; turning our trembling fear to faith.

Grace could never be so sweet if we did not first stand before God with trembling fear because of our utter inability to look upon His Righteous Glorious Face without it.

When we consider the depth of depravity that lurks within man’s soul.  When we see the darkness of evil that surrounds our cities, our nation, and our world; should we not pause in trembling fear at its power?  However, consider the truth: God has won the victory over sin, death, and evil’s grip when Jesus Christ rose from the grave; having paid the penalty for sin and having lead “captivity captives and gave gifts to men” (Ephesians 4:8).  After considering this truth, our hearts must tremble at the Grace extended toward each of us; because, “God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

HABAKKUK’S TREMBLING FEAR THAT TURNED TO FAITH

In chapter three, Habakkuk’s prayer is one of reverence, trembling fear before an Almighty, Righteous God who reigns with Justice, Holiness and Power.  Habakkuk is fully aware now of God’s plan of judgement upon His people for their continued sins.  However, he is also aware that God has promised, “the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).  It is in this knowledge, that Habakkuk begins his prayer, “O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2).

He recalls God’s Power and Might, as He reigns over all things.  Judgement would come upon the people of Judah.  That was certain at this point.  However, Habakkuk knew that Grace would reign for all who believe, whose faith would give them life.  That was when Habakkuk could say,

HABAKKUK 3: 16-19

When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.

 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. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

 TODAY’S EVIL AND GOD’S RESPONSE

When we consider all the evil that surrounds us, from the shooter in Las Vegas, the North Korean Dictator, and the Isis terrorists.  Yes, we have seen the face of pure evil.  Also, we have seen natural disasters.  Habakkuk knew, the righteous faith-filled people of God were about to face captivity along with all those who had sought after self-pleasures, denying the righteous, power of Almighty God.  However, his hope and joy held tight to the promises of God.

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it: because it will surely come… For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord” (Habakkuk 2:3,14)

God will return one day.  On these the people of God can stand with hope, joy and faith.  For those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, this is a wakeup call.  Pure evil forces one to awaken to the false narratives of relativism.  There cannot be pure evil, if there are no moral standards by which to judge.  Pure evil contrasts against a Righteous, Holy God.

HABAKKUK’S TREMBLING FEAR POINTED TOWARD FAITH IN CHRIST

John Piper points out in his sermon, The Just Shall Live by Faith:

Habakkuk couldn’t see ahead to how God would preserve both his holy hatred for sin and his merciful forgiveness of sinners who trust him. But God had revealed it, and so he proclaimed it: the just shall gain their lives in the judgment by faith. He knew that when he called them “just,” they weren’t sinless. He meant that those who are right with God in spite of their sin are those who trust God for his mercy. But how can a holy God, who hates sin, show eternal mercy on sinners who simply trust him for mercy? God did not reveal that much to Habakkuk.

The New Testament Revelation of the Gospel

But he did to the apostle Paul, and the answer is the death of Christ. Paul said it like this:

They are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:24–26) Let me try to translate that into your situation. When you put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, when you give up trying to lead your own life and establish your own worth, and instead surrender your heart to him and bank on him for your future, three things happen. 1) Your sin receives its deserved condemnation. 2) God’s righteousness receives its deserved glorification. 3) And you receive your undeserved justification.(1)

 

CONCLUSION

All God’s people can stand with hope, joy, and peace; no matter how dark the road may seem.  For those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior; today is the day of salvation, if only you will ask Him in.  Let your trembling fear be turned to faith, hope and joy.

Jesus said, ^“ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” Revelation 3:20

If you desire more information concerning the Dichotomous truth of God’s Glory being both His Righteous Justice and His Mercy; please go to God’s Glory Revealed in Justice and Mercy.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. Because there is nothing more important than this, I urge you to seek Him today.

OR ARE YOU IN OF NEED PRAYER?

If you have a prayer request email me by clicking here or comment here

OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE

If you want to know more about  books I have written:  You can read more about each one at: Book Resources.

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2017

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

1John Piper, “The Just Shall Live by Faith”, October 31, 1982, DesiringGod.org., accessed October 4, 2017, http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-just-shall-live-by-faith

Photo by Ryan Holloway on Unsplash

The book of Habakkuk begins with a very heavy burdened, saddened prophet.  He looks around at his people. The tribe of Judah were the last who were standing with some hope of holding fast to their faith.  But, alas; they too had turned from God.  Despite the great revival lead by King Josiah; once more, evil, strife, bitterness, greed and idolatry reigned throughout the land.  As shown in the previous chapters; when Habakkuk prayed, He asked God why?  Why did you allow this?  As though God in His Sovereignty would deny mankind the freedom of choice!  However, the price of such freedom comes heavy, when the people choose evil.  Did they choose evil because they hated good?  I daresay that as always evil begins with pride, covetousness, lustful desires, and a turning away from God to seek after other idols.

That was what happened to the nation of Judah.  Although, God declared that an even more evil nation would overtake them; that nation too would fall because of the same evil within.  Matthew Henry in his commentary of Habakkuk 2:5-14 wrote: “The prophet reads the doom of all proud and oppressive powers that bear hard upon God’s people. The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, are the entangling snares of men; and we find him that led Israel captive, himself led captive by each of these.”¹

BEGINNING SOURCE OF ALL EVIL

Continue reading How to Recognize the Beginning Sources of Evil →

As Habakkuk waited upon his watchtower, longing for God’s response; he knew that seeing all the evil within his nation and the even greater evil invading his nation, only God could help him to understand the chaos surrounding his own heart.  We cry for all those injured last night in Las Vegas.  My own heart wrenching in pain, praying that each soul who perished in the awful event might have known the Savior.  Aching from the thought that any should perish without having heard and accepted the gospel message, I like Habakkuk; must stand and wait upon the watchtower to hear God’s call.  He promises in verses 2,3, and 14 of Habakkuk 2, that in due time, evil will be destroyed.

IN DUE TIME:

Continue reading In Due Time, Evil Will Be Destroyed →