Article Title (26): Rise from sleep with Jesus Christ, thank God, and with faith and trust you will find grace.
Sermon Title: Habakkuk’s Prayer — Glorifying the Eternal Holy One in Heaven and Earth.
Habakkuk 3:1–19
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ our Lord, greetings to you all in the fold of our eternal living God, here in beloved South Sudan. On this blessed morning, by God’s grace to His chosen people from eternity, I hope you are all well.
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ our Lord, I am pleased first to remind you of this grace from the Holy Bible, as you prepare to accept it into your eternal lives spiritually, with faith and trust in the eternal Lord Jesus Christ.
A brief note on the sermon: Habakkuk’s prayer — glorifying the Eternal Holy One in heaven and earth.
As the Bible states in Habakkuk 3:1–15:
- A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet.
- “Lord, I have heard of 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.
- God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and His praise filled the earth.
- His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from His hand, where His power was hidden.
- Plague went before Him; pestilence followed His steps.
- He stood, and shook the earth; He looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed—but He marches on forever.
- I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish.
- Were You angry with the rivers, Lord? Was Your wrath against the streams? Did You rage against the sea when You rode Your horses and Your chariots to victory?
- You uncovered Your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers.
- The mountains saw You and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.
- Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of Your flying arrows, at the lightning of Your flashing spear.
- In wrath You strode through the earth and in anger You threshed the nations.
- You came out to deliver Your people, to save Your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot.
- With his own spear You pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding.
- You trampled the sea with Your horses, churning the great waters.”
And continuing in Habakkuk 3:16–19, the Bible speaks of rejoicing in the Lord:
- “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.
- 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 Savior.
- The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.”
The Bible also teaches us about justice and mercy in society, as in Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
And in Revelation 1:3: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”
Also in Daniel 12:3: “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
In conclusion, beloved brothers and sisters: May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Author: Elder in the Seventh-day Adventist Church Contact: WhatsApp +211 913306885 Email: johndour268@gmail.com