Facing God

Facing God

'Then if my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.' 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)

How many of us dare to face God? On the day of reckoning, many of us will have tremendous trepidation even fear when we have to stand before God. What will be our attitude? What posture can we take? 

Some of us have entered into the presence of God through prayer, some through meditation and others through our interaction with nature and creation. Almost all of us do so with genuine humility and contrition. However in the three chapters of the Book of Habakkuk we see a dialogue between a prophet, a holy man, with God in a confrontational manner with some air of defiance. Habakkuk questioned God.

'How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?

Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds." Habakkuk 1:2-3

There is much anxiety and perplexity in Habakkuk crying out, overwhelmed by unanswered questions. He was living in Jerusalem at the end of the 7th Century BC in an age of moral decline and spiritual decline. There was an impending doom as the Babylonians' conquest of Israel and the sacking of Jerusalem was imminent. Yet God seemed remote and did not take any action. Habakkuk complained, "Why aren't you intervening, God?"

This 'to your face' dialogue went on over the two chapters with God delivering a series of woes and rebukes. Finally Habakkuk changed his tone and learnt to keep silent in the presence of God.

'The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silent before him.' Habakkuk 2:20

Jonathan Lamb in his 30-day devotional on Habakkuk wrote 'The word silent is onomatopoetic in Hebrew, like our word, hush: be silent, stop all the arguments, all the arrogant assertions of human power, the efforts of human glory, the petty ambitions. It is a call for reverence, because the one who is speaking is the Lord of the Universe.' (Ref 1) 

When we face God, stand in His presence, do we realise that we are facing the God of the Universe? 

In a sermon on 19 Feb 2023, Rev Peace Choi of Charis Methodist Church made 3 points on Habakkuk's final humility in relating to God even in the face of impending doom and disaster. There was a change of tone in Habakkuk's approach; this time a more humble approach to God, not confrontational. When we face difficulties, perplexities and problems,  

• Plea for God's mercy, be humble enough to plea for God's help.
• Recollect God's goodness

'Lord, I have heard to your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.' Habakkuk 3:1-2

'But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from His sanctuary, my cry to Him reached His ears.' Psalm 18:6 

• Proclaim God's greatness
• Recollect God's glory, what He has done in your life.

'His glory covered the heavens and His praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise. He stood and shook the earth; He looked and made the nations tremble.' Habakkuk 3:3a,4 and 6a 

• Pledge to God's praise
• Recollect God's provision

'Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my saviour. The sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.' Habakkuk 3:18-19

In the face of God, a penitent Habakkuk accepted that the will of God will prevail,

'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 sheepfold and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.' Habakkuk 3:17-18

How do we face God? When we face life's uncertainties, when everything is stripped away, can we respond to God with a prayerful expectancy? This prayer-hymn, 'If My People Will Pray' composed Jimmy and Carol Owens will help. 

If My people

which are called by My name
shall humble themselves,
shall humble themselves
and pray.

If My people
which are called by My name
shall seek My face
and turn from their wicked ways

Then will I hear from heaven
then will I hear from heaven,
Then will I hear
and will forgive
forgive their sin.

If My people
which are called by My name
shall humble themselves,
shall humble themselves
and pray.

I will forgive their sin,
I will forgive their sin,
I will forgive their sin,
and heal their land.

Lionel

Ref 1: Jonathan Lamb with Elizabeth McQuoid, 30 Day Devotional - Habakkuk Inter-Varsity Press, 2018

From Fear to Faith

St Sava Church, Belgrade 'Christus Pantokrator' Χριστὸς Παντοκράτωρ

'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, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.' Habakkuk 3:17-18

Pat and I have just completed a river cruise down the Danube from Hungary to Romania. We visited the poorer towns and villages of the former Eastern European Bloc, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and Serbia. 

Bullet riddled Water Tower, Vukovar

These countries survived the harsh conditions of Communism, some under punishing dictatorships. Tourist guides told stories of their difficult past lives but never fought shy of expressing the hope for a better age for them. They told of massacres during the civil wars in the former Yugoslavia states, neighbours killing each other. 

At Vukovar, Croatia, we visited a massacre and memorial site on a remote farm. Around 400 patients and hideaways from Vukovar's hospital were captured. About 200 of these captives were taken to that farm at Ovcara and massacred.

Today, the same thing is happening in the war in Ukraine. The world awaits a global recession precipitated by both the unrelenting Covid-19 pandemic and that war in Ukraine. These are difficult times for most people. Many question Why?

Such times were also recorded in the Bible. Around 600 B.C. the prophet Habakkuk surveyed the prospects of the Kingdom of Judah, looked at the dismal conditions and was both perplexed and fearful. He cried out "How long, Lord, must I cry for help, but you do not listen?" (Habakkuk 1:2a) He saw

• Violence. 'Or I cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?' (Habakkuk 1:2b)

• Injustice. 'Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?' (Habakkuk 1:3a)

• Destruction. 'Destruction and violence are before me?' (Habakkuk 1:3b)

• Conflicts. 'There is strife and violence are before me.' (Habakkuk 1:3c)

At such times it is natural to be fearful. Believers have the tendency to ask God these heartfelt questions, expecting answers. (Ref 1).

From the pages of history, we learnt that these troublesome times will pass. We move from fear to faith, which was the experience of the Eastern European countries we travelled in. We noticed that these villages and townships kept the flame of their Orthodox Christianity. Small churches in various villages such as Arbanassi survived despite the atheistic communist regimes. How did these Christians keep their faith in spite of living in fear under draconian regimes?

Churches in Arbanassi, 

Quoting Habakkuk, Nicky Gumbel stated that, "Faith involves believing what God has said in spite of the difficulties you face." (Ref 1)

'The righteous will live by their faith' Habakkuk 2:4b

 

What is especially encouraging is that the faith of these Christians came back with a vengeance. The cupola or apse of churches or cathedrals have been restored along with the large mosaics or frescoes of 'Christ Pantokrator' as an emphatic statement of their faith.

The icon of Christ Pantokrator occupies the central dome of the Orthodox churches and cathedrals. It celebrates Christ as God Almighty, the Lord of Hosts. It draws the attention of the congregation to sing 'O Worship the King' 

O worship the King, all glorious above,

O gratefully sing God's power and God's love;

our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,

pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

O tell of God's might, O sing of God's grace,

whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,

whose chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,

and dark is God's path on the wings of the storm.

The earth with its store of wonders untold,

Almighty, thy power hath founded of old;

hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree,

and round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;

it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;

thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,

our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

Lionel

Ref 1: Nicky Gumbel YouVersion Bible in One Year Day 300.

I Have A Dream

'Though the fig tree does not bud and there were 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, yet I will rejoice in God my Saviour. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.' Habakkuk 3:17-18 

On the 26 Mar 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA, police brutality caused the death and murder of black American, George Floyd. A dramatic 8 minutes video that went viral worldwide, showed footage of a white American policeman pressing his knees on George's neck against the sidewalk curb. For 8 minutes George's pleas of "I can't breathe" failed to receive any mercy until he died.

This brutal killing reignited deep-seated anger over police killings and racism. For the next 7 days, more than 75 US cities saw protests as thousands poured into these streets, which only a few days ago were deserted because of Corona virus lock-down. Unfortunately the protests soon turned violent. All over the USA, looting, burning and clashes with law enforcement became rampant. For many, these civil violence and outrage reflect years of frustration over socio-economic inequality and discrimination were still lurking in the USA.

Adam Edgerly of NewSong church in LA, in a sermon 'The Struggle for Justice' eloquently pointed out the reality of current deep-seated, oftentimes hidden, discrimination against people of colour all around the world. He warned that God will not stand for this grievous sin and will bring His judgement to bear on all of us and maybe using even the current violence that we are seeing. The prophet Habakkuk predicted that God will use the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the ensuing rampage as an instrument of His corrective action for the sins of His people, the Israelites. This sermon is recommended for your listening. 

Neither the Rev Edgerly nor Habakkuk were suggesting that Christians should use violence, looting or killings as retribution for injustices. Vengeance, rightly so, belongs only to God. God's people's way should be peaceful non-violent protest.

The finest example of a peaceful confrontation against discrimination also happened in the USA. The late Rev Martin Luther King led a peaceful protest of thousands of Americans, white, black and of all colours through the streets of Washington DC, culminating in the famous, 'I have a Dream' speech. He began the speech with, "I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation." It was a peaceful protest led by a godly person for God's people. One sentence of that speech is worth repeating, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation, where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character."  

Many of Dr King's dreams did come true in the USA but unfortunately, racial discrimination still lurks not only in America but also in nearly all parts of the world. Societies remain fragmented. Timothy Keller wrote in The Prodigal Prophet, "We cannot all put our own self-interests ahead of the common good and still have a functioning society." (Ref 1) 

Could the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russo-Ukraine war and the violence we see on the streets be a part of God's recrimination against such sins and injustices? 

Timothy Keller wrote "The dismaying news is that every act of disobedience has a storm attached to it. This is not to say that every difficult thing that comes into our lives is the punishment for some particular sin. The Bible does not say that every difficulty is the result of sin but it does teach that every sin will bring you into difficulty." (Ref 1) 

It is not fruitful to speculate on God's vengeance. Instead of speculation, let's think of God's intention for all of God's people to live in harmony. This was the same sentiment expressed by the late Dr King in his speech. Let's echo the words of this old song by the Ray Conniff singers, 'Harmony' 

In the words of St Paul,

'Live in harmony with everyone. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position...If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.'  Romans 12:16 and 18

The time has come, let us begin
With all our voices joining in
To sing of love and brotherhood
People doing what they should to

Help their fellow man decree
And fill this land with harmony
The young and old, the rich, the poor
Making sounds, never heard before

Harmony! harmony! 
Let's all join in harmony 
Sing away the hurt and fear
A great new dream will soon be here

Like the shepherd guards his sheep
Watch your children as they sleep
Like the potter turns his clay
Help to shape a better day, and

Let us sing a song of love
There's one thing I'm certain of
Love will fill the hearts of men
Peace will come on earth… 

Lionel

Ref 1: Timothy Keller, The Prodigal Prophet, Jonah and the Mystery of God's Mercy Hodder and Stoughton 2018.

Updated article. First published 4 June 2020