在我們研究這一章的最後一段時，將會以哈巴谷的偉大禱告來結束。讓我們思想哈巴谷禱告的最後一句話：「在發怒的時候以憐憫為念」（哈三2）。偉大的聖經靈修註釋者馬太亨利（Matthew Henry）如此說：「哈巴谷沒有說『記念我們的好處』，而是說：『主啊，記念你自己的憐憫』。」先知使用的方法似乎是很多舊約聖徒在禱告時都使用的，就是提醒神祂自己的本性。這不是技巧，而是對迫切禱告的本質有深入和深刻的瞭解。現代的禱告缺乏古時先知生命所顯現的深度和理解。當教會願意回到有力的禱告時，也只有在那個時候，才能夠得到有力的結果。

「有力的禱告帶來有力的結果」

進深研究
彌七1-18；詩一零三18，一零八4

1. 彌迦怎樣看神？
2. 請寫出「憐憫」的定義。

祈禱
慈愛的天父，求您今天向您的教會那將滅的火吹氣，也請同時向我吹氣，直至灰燼中出現全新的活潑火焰。我奉基督崇高和寶貴的名字祈求，阿們。

From Confusion to Confidence

Day 113

"In wrath remember mercy"

"Correct me, Lord, but only with justice - not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing." (v.24)

Bible reading:
Jeremiah 10:12-25

12 But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them.

15 They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish.

16 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the people of his inheritance— the Lord Almighty is his name.

17 Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege.

18 For this is what the Lord says: "At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured."

19 Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, "This is my sickness, and I must endure it."

20 My tent is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My children are gone from me and are no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter.

21 The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the Lord; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered.

22 Listen! The report is coming— a great commotion from the land of the north! It will make the towns of Judah desolate, a haunt of jackals.

23 Lord, I know that people's lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.

24 Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure— not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing.

25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.

Message

We are seeing that Habakkuk's chief concern in prayer was not that God should call a halt to His plans, but that there should be a spiritual revival in Judah. The prophet's great fear was that Judah might be overwhelmed, and so he prays, in effect: "Preserve Your witness in our midst, O Lord - keep it alive, don't let it be destroyed."

The Hebrew word "revive" contains the idea of God bending down to the dying embers of a fire and breathing into them until they burst into flame. What an appropriate prayer this is for the Church today. If, like Habakkuk, we would make the Name and glory of God, rather than world events, the prime focus of our praying, we would come closer to the Biblical pattern and be more likely to see His glory revealed.

Before we turn aside from Habakkuk's great prayer and examine the final section of this chapter, we must spend a few moments looking at the final statement in his prayer: "In wrath remember mercy" (Hab. 3:2). The great devotional Bible commentator Matthew Henry says of this phrase: "Habakkuk does not say 'Remember our merit', but 'Lord, remember Thy own mercy'." The prophet uses a method which seems to be characteristic of that of many of the Old Testament saints when at prayer, namely, to remind God of His own nature. This was not a technique but showed a deep and profound understanding of the nature of importunate prayer. Modern-day praying lacks the depth and understanding that we see illustrated in the lives of the ancient prophets. When the Church gets back to powerful praying, then and only then will it get powerful results.

"Powerful praying gets powerful results"

Prayer
Gracious and loving heavenly Father, breathe on the dying embers of Your Church this day - myself included - until out of the ashes comes a new and living flame. This I ask in Christ's peerless and precious Name. Amen.

Further study
Micah 7:1-18
Psalm 103:18; 108:4

1. How did Micah view God?
2. Write out a definition of "mercy"

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