|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
How Long, O Lord? A Meditation on Habakkuk
In Habakkuk, the prophet cries out in a lament complaint twice, only to hear back from God a very unassuring response: Wait for me to answer. And Habakkuk's complaints are legitimate. He is one of the faithful in Israel, and even though he knows Israel has its faults and is being punished by God for their infidelity, he also knows that Israel is better than the nations around them, if for no other reason than their special relationship with God. Yet, Habakkuk sees the "righteous" being destroyed by the wicked (in the first case, Assyria; in the second, Babylon). So he cries out to God. At first he receives a satisfactory answer: God is raising up another nation to take out the wickedness of Assyria. But in between God's answer and the prophet's second complaint, something went horribly wrong, and Israel was once again accosted by brutality. Thus, Habakkuk's second complaint. But the answer he receives this time is baffling. It comes almost as silence. "Wait," God says. "I assure you I will do something, but wait for it. Wait for me." How long can we wait? As Christians, we read this and are still looking for God's action. Even the coming of Jesus didn't slow down the wickedness we see all around us. And, often times, this wickedness pervades our lives and slows us down. We see: + A brother in Christ passed over for a promotion because he won't flirt with his female boss + A sister in Christ ridiculed and left by her non-Christian husband + Christian teenagers ostracized at high school activities because they go to youth group on Friday night and not the drunken parties How long, O God, before you set things right? But as with Habakkuk, all we can do is wait, and rest assured in the meantime that God is working and that the arrogant will not endure (2:5). In the meantime, the righteous will live by their faithfulness (2:4). So we set our hearts on God, make a commitment to him based on faith, and live our lives, knowing that in the end, God will set things right and reward our faithfulness to him. Jeremy M. Hoover writes at his Christian blog, http://www.jeremyhoover.blogspot.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Path to Healing Some wounds are embedded so deeply that no amount of professional expertise can cure, much less heal. A famous Yale surgeon says that as a surgeon, he cuts into the body, but he can not order the wound to heal. Ultimately, it is through our efforts that healing can occur.The path to healing is a personal choice. It is a path where you choose to piece together the fragmentsand make it" whole" again. It paves the way to self-discovery, to open the door to your inner selfand experience inner harmony. And ultimately, come tomeet the child within that has longed for your love ,care and attention. The child within that is forgotten,pushed to the background, lurks in the shadows, but patiently waits to be acknowledged.WHAT NEEDS HEALING?Childhood trauma:The imprints of childhood experience is a powerfulforce. An expectant mother who lives through a stressful situation during pregnancy share the burden with the unborn child. Years ago,domestic matters were never discussed openly, especially issues about abuse, violence,neglect , abandonment and other related matters. Today, society is more aware of the potential or actual existence of abuse and violence in the home. Tragic that the innermost and safest sanctuary societydepends upon can be the most dangerous.These are issues that take its toll on the young victims. They growup with wounds, carry them around like a heavy load on their shoulders.Some never get over their trauma,it turns up at the most unexpected moment to haunt them;yet, there are those who are lucky enough to confrontit and use it to propel themselves to a healthier mind,body and spirit, successful relationships and life itself.When love is a venom:How many hearts have known pain all in the name of love. It invades lives from all walks of life, social status, add to that race or creed.No one wants to suffer pain, but it does happen. Healing a broken heart, picking upthe pieces of broken hopes and dreams, suffer the betrayal ,endure shattered self-image, re-live the haunting nightmares, the violation of one's innermost being,soul and spirit...it can take a lifetime to heal.The most traumatic of all is the violation that comes from those who are supposed to provide a nurturing environment to those who are entrusted to their care.All in the guise of love.GriefThe loss of a loved one can be most devastating. Sometimes one did not have a chance to bid their last farewell. It was all too sudden.Or one passes away after a lingering illness, with the relief that the suffering is over comes the grief of the loss. At one point and time in one's life, grief is a reality.GuiltWrong turns, wrong choices, wrong decisions-we all take wrong turns, make wrong decisions and choices.This is a human trait, even the saintliest of the saints has experienced this. We stumble, we fall, but many of us manage to get up and get on with life.The losses incurred at times may be life-threatening, or at the costof financial comfort and security or worst, relationshipsare threatened, lost ,sadly but innocently or unconsciously someone else has to bear consequences and the sacrifice.Wearing guilt on your sleeves, in your heart, in your beinginvites negative vibrations and digs you deeper into the mire.Take a look at those sad eyes,the window of the soul ,and you'll know. However,this is not a dead-end!Unfulfilled dreams and hopesLive your dream,ride on the wings of hope- this willnot always work out. One day you wake up and realize your dream never materialized and now you languish over the many years you spent trying to pursue that dream! All this while, time, opportunities and life passed you by .Hope can lead to disappointment- realize this. When all hopes are dashed , what have you got?PATH TO HEALING:Healing is a complex matter. Who has never felt the pains of suffering, be it physical, mental, emotional, material and spiritualEven our dear Mother Earth is in desperate need of healing from the abuse inflicted upon her through man's recklessness,negligence and lack of respect.There are avenues open to healing. One may choose to spend time with a professional, seek comfort from related groups,from family, but always, healing has to startwith oneself, from within that deep well of strength .It takes determination to face up to your dilemma,but, ultimately,it is most rewarding to regain your personalpower, self-confidence, learn to love yourself and enjoythat inner peace and calm.It is important to acknowledgethe pain, to recognize the cause, to be able to integrate the fragmented pieces and be willing to take it to the next step to be "whole"again.Then, you will be able to share love and peace with the world once again.Healing extends beyond the physical state- when the painis so deep, the spirit, the soul also bear the pain. It comes in hauntingly in the dark of the night , it fills a once loving heart with venom, it could ravage a once healthy mind and body. Beneath a once beautiful and graceful soul is the mask of vengeance.Venom for venom.BLOCKS TO HEALINGSometimes, the path to healing is full of potholes. Indeed, the path is covered with blocks, where healingcan not be accomplished,it's almost out of reach.Impediments on the path:denial, apathy, self-absorption and self-indulgence,addiction, putting up walls and barriers, busy-bee syndrome, compartmentalizing, isolation,withdrawal from society, cynicism, loss of faith, trust and compassion,self-pity, poor ?me syndrome, anger, fear of gettinghurt again, martyr complex, neurosis or psychosis, aggressive/ oppressive behaviour, confrontational attitudeguilt complex, resignation, loss of motivation.Sometimes, we hurt those we love most deeply, likewise, we bear the pain they cause. Time is a great healer, but don't take the painfully slow route and miss out on what the world holds for you.Let life flow for you and with you.E N D . Why Worry The possibility of almost 400 Old Testament prophesies coming to fulfillment in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, apart from God's sovereign control of history, staggers the imagination. The certainty that God planned the coming of His son into the world can offer stabilizing support to our faith in our Lord. Anam Chara - Telling Your Story We as human beings travelled in small bands for hundreds of thousands of years. Can You Live The Christ Life? Were you lied to as newborn Christian? I was...let me explain. Jesus The Great Comforter! When Life is not fair! We see it all the time in people's lives someunwanted circumstance enters and life is turnedupside down. A loss of a job, an unexpected bill,sickness you name it. I think we have all said atone time or another, "gosh, life just doesn't seemto be fair. It does not suppose to be this way; itwasn't what I had planned." Let Go Of My EgGO--Pride Cometh Before A Fall! Years ago a commercial ran for eggo waffles. Itshowed two small children grabbing an eggo wafflepopping out of the toaster, yelling, "Let go of myeggo!!" We didn't see what transpired between thetwo, yet I have to believe one of two thingshappened; one of the children would have given inand let go or the waffle would have been torn into small pieces. My Name is HAD-- Life Lessons Learned! My name is Had. You may know me, but you may not know my new name. You may have no idea what I 've been through because I do my best to look the same. I am scared to death of you. I use to be just like you. I once held my head up high without propping in on my hymnal. I was well respected back then, and I even respected myself. I was whole-hearted devoted to God, and if the truth be known, somewhere deep inside I was sometimes the slightest bit proud of my devotion. Then I'd repent because I knew pride was wrong. I didn't want to be wrong. Not ever. People looked up to me. And life looked good from up there. I felt good about who I was. That was before I was Had. Strangely, I no longer remember my old name. I just remembered I liked it. I liked who I was. I wish I could go back. I wish I would just wake up. But I fear I'm wide awake. I have had a nightmare. And the nightmare was me Had. What Is A Power Song and Where Do I Get One? All Shamans have several power songs because the vibration of the notes in the voice and in the fourth chakra of the throat stimulate sympathetic vibrations in the universe to respond. Everything is connected. What you put out comes back to you. When a butterfly flutters his wings in Cost Rica the winds of Africa are stirred. And when a sound is offered, the universe responds. Acknowledging Emotions and Feelings We'll begin with a question: Dream As Big As God! Sounds like a tall order doesn't it? But I think you'll see that it's what we're expected to do. But you might say, "I've tried that and it didn't work. I'm still sitting in the same place I was. Maybe it's not God's will for me to dream big." Why Isnt God Helping Me? Have you ever felt like throwing up your arms and saying "I quit! I just can't change! I thought when God came into my life things would get better, but they haven't." It doesn't matter if you're a new Christian or have been a Christian for a number of years, these feelings can creep in and set you up for confusion and frustration. An Alternative to A Life of Healing While I do hope to avoid arguing the merits or validity of seeing ourselves as primarily and essentially wounded and on a lifelong quest for wholeness via healing, I would like to offer another perspective on wholeness that may disagree with and/or upset some. This perspective is pointed at by the Mystical Traditions of the East and West, and one in which we begin with the understanding of our innate and eternal perfection. This view could be summarized as: I Can Do All Things Through Christ Jesus Who Gives Me Strength "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4: 11b - 13, NIV. Universal Thought System What we think is what we are. Our lives are determined by our thoughts. What we think determines what we have. What we think determines what we do. Every action begins with a thought, filtered through our beliefs, to achieve our goals. The thought, when set first in the form of a positive goal, will always be reached if Universal Laws are aligned with our beliefs and behavior. In our website we have begun to define and tabulate these laws in a way that does not require a scholars mind to decipher. Everyone should understand and easily utilize these laws. Geralds Story - A Tribute to Valor John 15:13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Beyond Life The question of life after death is one that continues to intrigue and mystify. The theories of existence beyond life on the material plane are many and varied. Some believe there is nothing beyond the physical life, while others believe that we continue to survive as a spiritual beings. Most of us have been taught to believe that the way we live our lives on earth will determine whether we will live blissfully in heaven or suffer eternal damnation in hell. Yet we continue in our quest to determine whether life continues beyond the physical realm. There are those who believe that the answer lies in belief itself. Knowledge that life exists beyond this plane of existence would alleviate the fear of death and comfort those suffering the loss of a loved one. Resonance Have you ever heard something that really "resonated" with you? I'm sure that if you are in tune with yourself emotionally, physically and/or spiritually you will know this experience well. Have you however ever reflected on what it means when something "resonates" with you? A Meaningful Relationship That is Not Yukky Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth Understanding the Gospel of Matthew and Why it Matters - Part 9 Matthew 3:4-6John Baptizes the People Chicken Soup with Chopsticks: A Jews Struggle for Truth in an Interfaith Relationship (excerpts) Does God care if I marry a gentile?
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
