Like the sea creatures

“You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler.” (Habakkuk 1:14)

 

Prophet Habakkuk referred on the anguish of faith. A man who doesn’t feel anguish is a being of dead soul. Moreover a man who can’t overcome anguish, he would be ruined. The conclusion Habakkuk said is, to overcome suffering and to have win. It is a world where there are many people who do guilty, whose own strength is their god. Habakkuk realized why God made them be alive in the world. They will eventually be judged by the Lord God. By being judged, the people of God can have realizations. God does not do so on purpose to divide people into good and evil. But only, from a human perspective, we have no choice but to express the appearance and situation of reality like that.

 

To alert and the judgment are purpose and action for people’s sake, and yet, they are not predicated on disadvantages. As a parable, there are laid many gates of exams in front of students. The exam is a step for a decision. It is because a student who did not pass the test be a failure right away. Since students have to test, they try to improve own knowledge. Without the examination step, they will neglect their studies. What the future of a student who has neglected to study will be like, and the later appearances can be guessed obviously. It is meaningless to question who is the saved in God or not. That is a matter which only the Lord God knows and to distinguish. As like such that, it is meaningless for a student to want only passing and success by alone without doing study. Man has to do is only listen to the word of God and follow Him.

 

Seeing people’s lives, it seems there are too many unjust appearances inside those. There are many positive aspects in the world life, but you might feel there are more negative aspects rather. The corruption and extinction of all things, on the outside, is same to be a negative phenomenon of the soul. Although, nature takes place new things through rot. On the other hand, in a man’s soul, it does not produce newness in the midst of corruption. Thus, it is not once or twice when we have to feel despair seeing a world full of injustice. Habakkuk asked God this. “Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” We may want to speak to God even ten times as the same words Habakkuk said. So there are sometimes when we’re discouraged enough to want even to throw away faith rather.

 

Habakkuk said like doing complaint, but the will he had was clear. What’s really important to anybody is such that will. A life without anguish or experiencing discouragement and frustration is rather undesirable. Because Habakkuk knew what God’s righteousness was, he expected there would be the ultimate winning. He who tries to follow the lessons of Christ in the world may be laughed at from others. For instance, if you teach someone who is slapped right cheek must let left cheek too, will be shown as if crazy to others. And if will go with for ten miles to a person who asks to go with for five miles, wouldn’t be perceived rather as a strange guy? Of course, it’s really funny or silly thing if looking with worldly viewpoint. For if you live in that way, there may be no way to be alive in this world at all. And yet, Jesus taught us clearly to do so.

 

All acts make bring God’s judgment. There are trials of living that are frequently met in the course of lives, and there are also the last Judgment. He who does not believe in God or Jesus will not believe in the fact the judgment itself too. But even if they don’t want to believe it, not the Judgment itself disappear. Each piece of life and death, disasters or blessings does not take place accidentally, but it’s a process of judgment by Almighty. Satan is the tool used on there. Satan is wholly focused on own activities. People believing in Jesus need to learn the strength the passion Satan shows. People enjoy watching TV these days. However, to be contrary to the benefits by watching TV, you should consider that you spend too much time and effort. Well, then you would have to try hard for devotion yourself to the life for Christ’s gospel, in order not to be laid under the judgment by God, wouldn’t you?

 

Habakkuk compared people’s reality to fishes in the sea or the sea creatures that have no ruler. Countless people are caught in Satan’s fishing and netting, and their souls are taken away. And Satan sends rejoices and cheers on the nets by that have taken away all the souls. But man is never insignificant enough to be considered like the sea creatures that have no ruler. The life born anew in Christ is the most precious being that have the Lord rules in the world. Such a person cannot be subordinated to the unjust of Satan, and absolutely he can triumph in peace and safe under the protection of the Almighty even if he is attacked by Satan.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Jan 22nd 2023)