By Ben Berto
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you, “Violence!” and you will not save? 3Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. 4So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous— therefore judgment comes forth perverted. Habakkuk 1:2-4 NRSV
This part of a song I remember from ages ago seems to echo what the prophet was complaining to God about. The world around him was corrupt, worse than the nations around Jerusalem, which was full of murderers, shedding blood from one end of the city to the other end. The prophet was frustrated. Will His God do anything to stop the evil in Israel? He feared for his life. Note that in 2 Kings 21:16 Manasseh, the king, “shed very much blood till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another”.
“In this world of fear and doubt
On my knees I ask the question
Why a lonely, heavy cross I must bear?
But He tells me in my prayer
It’s because I’m trustworthy
It’s a secret known only to Him.”
In this world ruled by the devil, many bad things are happening. People, whether good or bad, suffer many things that come upon them. The blame game starts, which brings about bitterness and pain in our lives. How do we get rid of negative thoughts about others whom we thought brought about our misfortunes? Right or wrong, is there a remedy? Yes! God is our answer. He will listen to our prayers and answer them. He loves us so much that He could not bear to see us suffer. He helps us to forgive those who trespass against us.
“There’s only one remedy for removing bitterness and pain from our lives, and that is “forgiveness.” Living with resentment and anger is a miserable existence, and if left to grow, it destroys our very soul. It ruins all relationships, including current and future ones, and leaves us lost and empty. Holding on to “justified anger” will not bring happiness. In fact, it will choke the very life right out of us. It doesn’t matter if we “don’t deserve it,” or “it wasn’t fair” – that’s not an excuse to be bitter. The truth is, God loves us even more than we could imagine, and He wants to give us His sweet peace that we seek. But to receive it, we must plow under that “garden of hurt” and ask God to replace it with His sweet forgiveness. The Bible says in Colossians 3:8, “You must get rid of all these things: anger, passion and hard feelings.” Sometimes the pain is so deep, you just can’t let go, and if that is how you’re feeling, run to Jesus’ outstretched arms and receive His love and forgiveness. Most of all, you will be thrilled to experience God’s perfect peace, and your garden of hurt will be replaced with fragrant, beautiful flowers! “Text: Matthew 18:21-22, Matthew 6:14, 1 John 1:9 (Brenda Walsh)”
The refrain of that song tells us why we must trust our lives to God.
“Known only to Him, are the great hidden secrets
Lord, I fear not the darkness when my flame shall dim.
I know not what the future holds, but I know He holds the future;
It’s a secret known only to Him.”
To contact us: Our website is www.abundantlifeadventist.ca. Worship with us every Saturday Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. Genesis 2: 2, 3; Exodus 20: 8-10; Isaiah 58:13, 14; Isaiah 66:22, 23; Matthew 5:17-19; Revelation 22:14;
John 14:1-3
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