Sunday, October 14, 2012

Pestilence and Burning Coals Habakkuk 3:5 - Equipped for Battle

God Almighty is the Creator of the universe, and there are no limits to His power. When He decides something will be, it is. Such is the revealed understanding to Habakkuk who for a while forgot the God in whom he served. When God arrived on the scene with the wicked of Israel, and when He used the Chaldeans as His instrument of judgment, He was completely in control. All of the elements were available to Him, and nothing could impede His progression. Habakkuk referred to God's appearing from both the North and South, he told of God's brightness, power and authority as was demonstrated on Mount Sinai when He gave the Law to Moses. Today Habakkuk continues to share God's ability in Habakkuk chapter three and verse five. He wrote:

Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.

Habakkuk first wrote, “Before him went the pestilence,”. The plagues of Egypt were quite possibly some of the worst events recorded in man's history. As the rebellious Pharaoh of Egypt refused over and over again to allow the children of Israel to go into the wilderness at God's request, one by one God would send a certain plague upon them. The events are recorded in the book of Exodus, but suffice it for now to know that God sent water turning into blood, frogs, lice, flies, livestock disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the death of firstborns upon the Egyptians before the Pharaoh acquiesced. Each of these were totally at the powerful hand of God, and were initiated and halted at His command.

Habakkuk continues, “and burning coals went forth at his feet.” In Exodus chapter nine and verses twenty-three through twenty-five we learn,

And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that [was] in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.

Can we even imagine something like this? Yet, this is easy for the LORD. God is powerful, in control, and the elements obey His command.

Let's put this in perspective. Habakkuk is reviewing God's previous appearances and interventions in the lives of people to encourage himself in the assurance that He will show up in Habakkuk's life as well. Many times it is good to remember the past times when our Heavenly Father demonstrated His power so we will be hopeful in our present situations. God was, is and always will be who He is, and if He has shown up in the past, He will show up in our future. We may not always understand His ways, but we can always know that He is faithful. As the pestilences were dispatched at His command, and the fires could be mingled with hail, so will He demonstrate His power at just the right time for our circumstances too.

Next time we will continue to look into the power of Almighty God, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

 

No comments:

Post a Comment