Tag Archives: humbled

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On Monday this week I had the amazing opportunity of spending the morning with some dear people to me.  I went to Lighthouse Baptist Church in Dennison, IL for a Pastor’s breakfast.  That Church is one of a hand full of Churches that are very dear to my heart.  The breakfast was wonderful.  Spending time with the Pastors and Christian workers that attended was deeply valuable to me (and others I am sure).  Pastor Phil Price and the dear people of the Church did a great job making us all welcomed and full.

My dear friend Dr. Larry Lilly was asked to give a charge from the Scriptures.  Once again God used this man to minister right to the heart of all who attended.  His text was Habakkuk 3:17-19.  I was so moved by his message that I could not even make my pen scribe notes on paper as I listened.  So, I cannot recreate what I heard; but, I can share some thing with you that came to my mind as I read again this passage.

Habakkuk 3:17-19, “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.”

The first thing I see is the ruin.  We are told about the fig tree will not blossom, the vine will have no fruit, the olive will fail and the fields will not yield.  This spells total ruin to me.  When I look at this from the standpoint of a farmer it is total ruin.  What will we eat?  What will we drink?  How shall we live?  Maybe these are questions that you posit on a daily basis.

Then I see the response.  The writer is giving us a look into the heart of someone that is deeply courageous.  This person is deeply committed.  Did you see that?  Look again, “I will joy in the God of my salvation.”  What a response.  There is no pity party here friend.  There is only simple worship directed to The One who gives us breath and life.  Joy is based upon your relationship with Jesus Christ.  Happiness is based upon your circumstances.

Thirdly I see the reality.  The writer says, “The LORD God is my strength…”  Our biggest problem is that we try to figure out our problems.  We try to fashion a plan to get out of our problems.  Then we end up fighting against God’s will for our lives.  We need to quit trying to orchestrate the end of our problems.  We need to rest in the reality that God is our strength.  Read the Psalms and see how they minister to you in your hour of darkness.

No matter the ruin in your life you can have a godly response when you realize the reality of Who is really in control.

So, how are you doing?

Humbled

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Yesterday I spoke to you from my heart.  Today I would like to continue my thoughts.  My heart is still aching after that incident.  I am sure that you can imagine my pain.  As I began thinking about this whole thing I was reminded of Matthew 21:37-38, “But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.   But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.”

This is where I began hearing from my Father.  He spoke to me about how His Son Jesus was treated by his own people.  The tears began to fall.  I know it is a whole different situation.  Yet, I now feel like I have a better understanding of how my Father felt when people reject Christ and say all manner of evil things about Him.  Oh my!

Sometimes in life we experience things that are unpleasant.  We wish that we had not experienced them.  The Father tells us that these are for our good and His glory.  Well, I dropped the ball in our experience the other day for sure.  Thank God for forgiveness!

The people of Jesus’ day did not understand Him.  Not even His own men.  How this grieved the heart of Jesus and Father.  Just like I sat in the van grieved only on a far different plane.  Please don’t misunderstand me.  I am sharing this from my heart to yours in order that we might understand the heart of the Heavenly Father.  He loves us supremely and He allows these things into our lives to drive us to Him.  I know in my life it caused me to see some things differently.  If people would not reverence and respect Jesus why would fallen man have any respect for God’s special people like our son.  The rhetorical answer there is, “They will not.”  God help them!

So, how are you doing?