Friday, November 27, 2009 Devotion

Friday, November 27, 2009

Habakkuk 3:1-15

3 ¹ This prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk,

² I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy. ³ I see God moving across the deserts from Edom, the Holy One coming from Mount Paran. His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise. ⁴ His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise. Rays of light flash from his hands, where his awesome power is hidden. ⁵ Pestilence marches before him; plague follows close behind. ⁶ When he stops, the earth shakes. When he looks, the nations tremble. He shatters the everlasting mountains and levels the eternal hills. He is the Eternal One! ⁷ I see the people of Cushan in distress, and the nation of Midian trembling in terror. ⁸ Was it in anger, Lord, that you struck the rivers and parted the sea? Were you displeased with them? No, you were sending your chariots of salvation! ⁹ You brandished your bow and your quiver of arrows. You split open the earth with flowing rivers. ¹⁰ The mountains watched and trembled. Onward swept the raging waters. The mighty deep cried out, lifting its hands to the Lord. ¹¹ The sun and moon stood still in the sky as your brilliant arrows flew and your glittering spear flashed. ¹² You marched across the land in anger and trampled the nations in your fury. ¹³ You went out to rescue your chosen people, to save your anointed ones. You crushed the heads of the wicked and stripped their bones from head to toe. ¹⁴ With his own weapons, you destroyed the chief of those who rushed out like a whirlwind, thinking Israel would be easy prey. ¹⁵ You trampled the sea with your horses, and the mighty waters piled high.

Quick Notes

Today, many across the U.S. of A. celebrate a day called "Black Friday", the number 1 shopping day of the year. If we were really honest with ourselves, most of us would rather get that deal at Best Buy or Toys 'R Us than everlasting salvation. In a sense, we kind of like the chaos of our lives. It makes sense to us. To go and completely abandon that so we can live a life of salvation seems foreign, strange, and kind of cuckoo. Despite all the sales that the day may hold, none of these things and items will satisfy our lives. As Christians we believe that God in Christ can?

Quick Questions

How often do you seek the next great thing instead of the Great One?

Quick Prayer

O God, it is my confession that I consume everything around me and do not allow for your grace to consume me. Break me and fill me so that I may overflow love into others' lives. Amen.