One Saturday morning at church, after corporate prayer had ended (with “corporate” pertaining to a united group of people), I just kept sitting in the room as music played. I began praying in the Spirit and crying. I wasn’t sad, and couldn’t think of why I was crying so much, so I asked the Lord what was going on. In my spirit, it was as if I heard, “I will do a thing you wouldn’t believe if I told you.”
Immediately I thought of Habakkuk and looked up the reference. Verse 1:5 in the NASB version of the Bible says:
5 “Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days—You would not believe if you were told.
As I read more of what God says to the prophet Habakkuk about the Chaldeans (in verses 1-11), I thought of the things that had been in the news lately concerning ISIS and Boko Haram:
1 The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2 How long, O Lord, will I call for help,
And You will not hear?
I cry out to You, “Violence!”
Yet You do not save.
3 Why do You make me see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, destruction and violence are before me;
Strife exists and contention arises.
4 Therefore the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore justice comes out perverted.
And You will not hear?
I cry out to You, “Violence!”
Yet You do not save.
3 Why do You make me see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, destruction and violence are before me;
Strife exists and contention arises.
4 Therefore the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore justice comes out perverted.
5 “Look among the nations! Observe!
Be astonished! Wonder!
Because I am doing something in your days—
You would not believe if you were told.
6 “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
That fierce and impetuous people
Who march throughout the earth
To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.
7 “They are dreaded and feared;
Their justice and authority originate with themselves.
8 “Their horses are swifter than leopards
And keener than wolves in the evening.
Their horsemen come galloping,
Their horsemen come from afar;
They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.
9 “All of them come for violence.
Their horde of faces moves forward.
They collect captives like sand.
10 “They mock at kings
And rulers are a laughing matter to them.
They laugh at every fortress
And heap up rubble to capture it.
11 “Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on.
But they will be held guilty,
They whose strength is their god.”
Be astonished! Wonder!
Because I am doing something in your days—
You would not believe if you were told.
6 “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
That fierce and impetuous people
Who march throughout the earth
To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.
7 “They are dreaded and feared;
Their justice and authority originate with themselves.
8 “Their horses are swifter than leopards
And keener than wolves in the evening.
Their horsemen come galloping,
Their horsemen come from afar;
They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.
9 “All of them come for violence.
Their horde of faces moves forward.
They collect captives like sand.
10 “They mock at kings
And rulers are a laughing matter to them.
They laugh at every fortress
And heap up rubble to capture it.
11 “Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on.
But they will be held guilty,
They whose strength is their god.”
I wasn’t sure what to do with this, so again I asked the Lord because I sorely need His wisdom. (James 1:5 NLT 1996 says, “If you need wisdom-if you want to know what God wants you to do-ask Him, and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.” [pronoun capitalization mine]) The answer seemed to be in Acts 13:38-41-
38 So let it be clearly known and understood by you, brethren, that through this Man forgiveness and removal of sins is now proclaimed to you;
39 And that through Him everyone who believes [who acknowledges Jesus as his Savior and devotes himself to Him] is absolved (cleared and freed) from every charge from which he could not be justified and freed by the Law of Moses and given right standing with God.
40 Take care, therefore, lest there come upon you what is spoken in the prophets:
41 Look, you scoffers and scorners, and marvel and perish and vanish away; for I am doing a deed in your days, a deed which you will never have confidence in or believe, [even] if someone [clearly describing it in detail] declares it to you.
It was as if I was to urge people to “come to Jesus NOW!” beginning with this blog entry. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NASB), I now say:
Therefore, as an ambassador for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through me; I beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
… and my journey with Him continues …
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