Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule:
Thank you for your prayers for my calf. It is amazingly better and is healing quickly… just like we asked God to do. He has been very gracious!
Habakkuk 1-3
Saturday: Ecclesiastes 1-2
Sunday: Acts 9-10
In chapter three we find the proper focus of worship, and it must always be on God. However, the question that affects worship is what is our God like? In Habakkuk 3:3-15 Habakkuk presents several characteristics of God in the form of a magnificent theophany (appearance of God). Verses 3-7 describe God’s great acts of the past, particularly those done in connection with the exodus; while verses 8-15 portray the Lord as a warrior who will bring future deliverance. The whole section is highly poetic, and not surprisingly the prophet used language and literary forms typical of the Book of Psalms.
In verse 4, God’s splendor is compared to a sunrise. The flashing rays are reminiscent of the rays that shone around Moses’ face as he descended from Mount Sinai. In the Exodus passages, Moses’ “face was radiant” is literally Moses’ “face was horned.” Of course, the horns symbolized the rays shining forth from his face after being in God’s presence.
Our God is glorious beyond imagination. Paul says that our King lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. (1 Tim. 6:16) God warned Moses, you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live. God’s glory elicits worship… a manifestation of His worth!
In verses 8-15 we encounter an awesome display of God’s judgment on a wicked world. Why does God react so? Earlier Habakkuk explained, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil.” (1:13) We worship a holy God. He hates the very sight of wickedness. Because He is holy, we may be confident that prayers for justice will be answered. The wicked will be punished, and the righteous will be vindicated. Because He is holy, we must be clean in order to enter His presence for fellowship (Psalm 24). True worship is about the worth and character of God, producing a right and humble opinion of ourselves, while convincing us of our dependence upon God. May we worship the Lord today and every day!
Prayer Requests:
Personal
- Lord, please help me to honor you by acknowledging your true worth!
- Lord, please help me to model a life completely dependent upon you.
- Lord, please help me to approach you, understanding better your amazing holiness.
Political
- Representative Kathy Crawford – District 38 – Novi
- Senator Kevin Daley – District 31 – Attica
- US representative Debbie Dingell – District 12 – Dearborn