18 February 2010
Psalm 37:1-18; Hab. 3:1-18; Phil 3:12-21 ; John 17:1-8

Habakkuk’s prayer recounts his knowledge of the Lord’s vengeance and judgments and yet ends in praise. How is that possible? One simple word, but an enormous concept, answers that question, righteousness. God is utterly righteous, He is consistent in all that He says and all that He does. He has made a covenant with humankind and more particularly with His people and what He has done in the past is completely consistent with both His nature and His words spoken. We tend to hear the question, “How could a good God…” when a disaster happens, and the answer to the question is in the word good. We must see and understand that as sin abounds, the earth cries out on behalf of a righteous and holy God for judgment. This prayer recollects the natural disasters and the reaction of nature to the working of its creator. Paul says that all creation groans in anticipation of the revelation of the sons of God. That groaning is for its own release from the grip of human sin and depredation and for the true image bearers to come and care for the earth as they were intended. In the end, Habakkuk is able to praise God and rejoice in Him as His salvation and strength.

Jesus is prepared for the end. It is amazing to think that God Himself came to earth and there were 12 men chosen to receive Him and His message from whom the world would be evangelized. With these 12 rested the responsibility of proclamation of the message and now 2000+ years later the Christian faith reaches nearly every corner of the globe and the future is with us. The glorification is certainly not what the disciples would have expected, the trial, beating and death on the cross that lay ahead in the next 24 hours. Nothing in this prayer could have prepared them for what was to come, what looked like God not hearing this prayer.

Paul urges the Christians at Philippi to press on, keeping their hearts and minds set on eternity. As Jesus saw beyond the cross and the tomb, so are we to see beyond the end of this life and begin living for eternity. As Christians we do not deny the essential goodness of creation and this life, they are both gifts from a good and loving God, but our decision-making isn’t defined by getting more of the things of earth, it is defined by doing God’s will no matter the cost. As Christians we need to show the world there is both something amiss in the world and that there is another way, even in the midst of all this. Lent is a time to show that the things of earth aren’t our primary concern.

I will trust in the You, and do good;
I will dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
I will delight myself in the LORD,
and he will give me the desires of my heart.