REMEMBER, YOU ARE DUST AND DUST YOU WILL RETURN SCRIPTURE READING - DAY 5
Habakkuk 3:2
Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in
awe of your deeds, O Lord.
Renew them in our day, in our time make
them known; in wrath remember mercy. (NIV)
MEDITATION BY Alice Collier
Hopeless faces…hearts bound by materialism…men enslaved to the corporate world…couples dedicating their young children at Shinto shrines…
As I walk the streets where I live in Tokyo and feel the weight of darkness that surrounds me, I often find myself crying out this same prayer that Habakkuk prayed. Of course, Habakkuk was crying out for the physical deliverance of his people from injustice and violence. Japan is a very safe place to live physically, but the level of spiritual poverty is shocking.
The spiritual darkness in Japan can be very discouraging, especially when compared to the ways God is moving in other parts of the world. I hear of the thousands being saved daily in a neighboring Asian country, yet in Japan, only a few at a time are coming to him.
There are instances I feel completely broken and ask, “Lord, have you forgotten us here?”
This season of Lent marks my 11th year in Japan. Each year when Lent
approaches, I contemplate on what Jesus did for each of us on the cross, and my heart longs for the Japanese people to receive this truth as well.
Lord, they are walking in hopelessness and darkness when they
could have the Hope of the World living inside each of them…
Every year my prayer remains the same: Lord, remember Japan…Lord, renew them in our day! Sometimes the reality of the spiritual climate causes me to sink into sorrow.
In recent Lenten Seasons, reflecting on the cross has caused an awakening in my own soul. As I wait to see his deliverance for the Japanese people, the Lord is renewing my own hope and vision! His strength and joy bubble up from the bottom of my soul—I am no longer discouraged to the point of despair.
Old thought patterns that have only led to despair and doubt are now replaced with the mind of Christ. The new life that we received when Jesus rose from the dead is living in me! He stirs my heart even more to pray and to wait on him for spiritual breakthroughs in Japan.
Lord, I have heard of how you have moved mightily in other
parts of the world. I am in awe of how you draw nations to
yourself. Do not abandon these lost souls in Japan. Breathe
your wind of renewal and salvation over this country. Do it in
this generation! Lord, may we see it with our own eyes.
REFLECTION
What are the spiritual injustices around you that the Lord wants to open your eyes to? How is God calling you to be a modern-day Habakkuk?
What does the Lord want to awaken and make new in your own relationship with him?
Are there any areas in ministry or prayer where you have given up? How may the Lord be calling you to renew your vision, strengthen your faith, and increase your hope during this season of Lent?
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