ELUL MEDITATION DAY 22

GOD IS HOLY

In our meditations for Elul we have been reviewing the attributes of God’s nature. So far, we have covered that God is love. He is compassionate. God is full of truth and justice. Today we will look at God’s holiness. Our goal is to learn how to better reflect God to the world. This is done by living as close to His nature as possible.

SONGS OF HOLINESS

NONE LIKE YOU

As we begin to ponder the holiness of God, all sorts of beautiful worship songs flood my memories. The first is an old favorite song with beautiful descriptive lyrics that state “there is none like you.“

It is so true. Only God is holy. No one else comes close.

DOXOLOGY

Then I also think of The Doxology. The truth is right there in it’s opening words; “Holy, Holy, Holy, LORD God Almighty.” There are so many beautiful worship songs that speak to us of God’s holiness. It is this holiness that causes us to fall on our faces in worship.

Just to help you understand where I am coming from, here is another one of my favorites: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfIT3rooJWQ.

Can you hear these words and not want to worship God?

HOLINESS

We are so blessed to have an Almighty God who is so very holy that we want to sing and praise Him every time we consider that amazing attribute called holiness.

The holiness of God is exactly what makes us know that He IS God. It calls us to worship Him and no other.

This divine holiness of God is what makes Him worthy to BE God. No other is or ever will be worthy.

WORTHY

Which brings us to recall yet another beautiful worship song by Jacob Sooter and Mia Fielding. It is called “Worthy, Worthy.” I’m especially loving this song for the time of Elul because of the verse with the lyrics that say: “When you return we will hear the trumpet sound, You’ll lead us home riding on the clouds, where we will stand and sing forevermore, the honor and praise, the glory of the LORD!”

These praises naturally come forth from the people because God is pure and holy.

Are you feeling that sense of holiness yet? It happens every time God’s people begin to praise and God comes and inhabits us with His Holy Presence. There is nothing like it.

REAL

This type of holiness cannot be faked or imitated.

It is based on realness and truth. Holiness describes the total awesomeness of God. When we come to a place where God has put His Name, a place inhabited by His people, we know we have come to be standing upon holy ground. It is holy ground because God inhabits the praises of His people.

Oh that this could be America in the days of our future.

We must return to the days of recognizing the holiness of God. God’s holiness brings healing. Once again we are compelled to listen to the old prophet named Isaiah. He declares God’s holiness in no uncertain terms in Isaiah 57:15:

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

ETERNAL

Here, the great prophet Isaiah reminds us that God inhabits eternity. It is appropriate that holiness be found inhabiting eternity. Our Holy God has seen the beginnings. He knows all of the endings. His holiness will last forever. He looks down and shares this perfect holiness with those who are feeble, low, and discouraged.

Can you think of a better way to be refreshed?

When the holiness of God falls on you, it gives you the courage to get back up and try again. You find the hope to continue the journey.

HOPE

We are living through days when many people are feeling brutally betrayed by the tyranny of greedy governments. Some fear for their freedom. They earnestly pray they are not harmed in the stand they feel they must take in days to come. It is their desire to live out God’s ways as opposed to Socialistic/ Marxist/Communist/totalitarianism and all ungodly ways.

We all must clean our hearts and our hands. This is the time to stand before a very Holy God who has the power to change things. You alone cannot do this. Nor can I do this in my own strength. We together must stand in the holiness of an Almighty God. He will help us.

Exodus 15:11 tells us the same Holy God who saved Abraham’s children from bondage can step in and save us too. Here are the words that your heart needs to hear about God’s holiness: “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)

DAYS OF AWE

Elul hastens to a close. The days are more and more numbered this year. We know we are coming into a time when we will find ourselves in Awe of our God. The observance of the Ten Days of Awe declare God’s holiness above all other gods. They speak of His power, might, and ability to perform wonders. Some wonders we reacall are those of freeing slaves, parting seas, raining food from Heaven, and water from a Rock.

Our Holy God has never lost a war. He cannot be defeated. Though our enemies might look large and strong, they are nothing but grasshoppers in His sight.

HIS BANNER IS LOVE

We must take up this banner again. This banner of holiness can lead a nation of people worshiping a Holy God. Victory is sure when we believe in the holiness of Our Great God.

Have you forgotten?

I cannot help but ask, have you allowed yourself to worship fear instead of looking up at the holiness of God?

Do not forget His holiness.

STRENGTH

What is the mystery that He is waiting for us to discover about His holiness? It is the mystery that in desiring to be reflect Him, He will strengthen us beyond belief. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tells us, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.“

The fear of God is the fear we should be seeking. It is desired instead of the fear of what man can do to us. The fear of God cleanses our souls. The Body of Christ who makes up the Church is cleansed. We are put back on the path to complete holiness. Together, with each other and God, we can build the spiritual building up. The power of God from His holiness within us will help us to prevail over our enemies.

WORSHIP

We must once again proclaim and claim the words found in Romans 12:1; “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

God is our pattern for living holy lives. This is because He is holy. Through His holiness, we find our own identity. “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” (2 Timothy 1:9.)

DESTROYS EVIL

Holiness is not able to endure evil without destroying it. Perhaps it is time for us to study a verse found in Habakkuk. Habakkuk 1:15 says “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?”

Habbakuk was a prophet of God. He lived through a great spiritual revival among God’s people. When he addressed God with this question, he was seeing the same nation he had previously lived in during revival and renewal after the Assyrian captivity. They were falling into yet another decline. It was a terrible time of careless ungodliness.

HABAKKUK’S PROPHECY

Habakkuk was given the words from God to cry out to God’s people about the coming Babylonian captivity of Jerusalem. He knew so well that God would not endure unholy things in the land. Yet God lingered and endured, even after Habakkuk had seen the vision of troubles.

The prophet looked around and saw Judah was clearly surrounded by violence and injustice. He was questioning that a Holy God would endure these times.

Have you ever felt like Habakkuk?

WHEN JUSTICE DID NOT PREVAIL

Habakkuk saw strife and contention. He saw perverse judgements and the powerlessness of the law of the land. Habakkuk saw that justice did not prevail. It was the worst of times. He was crying out to God and asking how long God was going to wait to do something about all of this.

Habakkuk knew that God’s holiness could not stand so much evil and wickedness in the nation.

So, we know what happened. God allowed the enemy nations to take control of His people. This was allowed because God’s people had not taken a stand for the ways of God. Habakkuk got to be the one who warned them that God’s holiness was being severely disturbed by their sins. I can imagine it wasn’t a very fun job. Nobody was listening.

SILENCE IN THE LAND

No one could hear the sound of the shofar blowing out a warning over the land. The people did not heed the sound announcing the holiness of God.

And here we are in America today. Who is listening for the sound of the shofar?

Tyrannical rulers shake their fists in the face of God. They expect to get away with it. These evil rulers do not understand or believe the awesome power of holiness once it is riled up.

If God’s people are NOT BEING God’s people, God will allow their enemies to possess them.

WHO CAN HEAR?

America – DO YOU HEAR ME?

Poor Habakkak had a horrible job to do. Everyone in Israel was so used to God running to their rescue in every situation. The spoiled people had become too proud. It was time for them to learn humility.

Learning humility is never fun.

God sent terrible and violent judgement against Israel’s lack of concern for His holiness through the Babylonian army.

Do we know of any other countries with a lack of concern for God’s holiness?

I wonder.

LEARNING HUMILITY

God used Habakkuk’s voice to let them know that harsh and terrible judgement was coming.

The enemies of Israel would be allowed to claim a victory for their false gods. They took over the land. It must have broken God’s heart to let this happen to the people He loved so much. How he must have wished they would change and turn and hear the warnings.

The ironic part was that God was letting a nation more wicked than Judah bring judgment over Judah. Why would God let a wicked and terrible nation rule over them? It would seem logical to ask why God would not punish them in another way. God’s holiness demanded a change. This was what it took for the people to be willing to change.

Habakkuk knew of the holiness of God. Yet, even he was astounded that God would allow an even more wicked nation to be the punishment for Judah’s disobedience.

WHY O LORD?

Habakkuk was brave enough to bring this question up before God. He wasn’t like Abraham. Habakkuk didn’t mince words or slowly approach the subject. He asked, “Why O Lord?”

God was faithful to answer. He told Habakkuk to write this vision and make it plain. In other words, God wanted people to hear it and understand it. That tells me the message was for people of more than one generation.

God was not only speaking to those particular times. The vision was yet for another appointed time.

Please go to the book of Habakkuk. Read all three chapters.

All three books in Habakkuk read like one long poem. Certain words leap off the page. You may think of today and the things going on in the world around us. The vision of Habakkuk speaks of a nation who borrows and borrows and borrows until it is made plunder to its creditors. All kinds of evil are mentioned. Much of this ancient evil sounds very familiar.

DESTROYED BY THEIR OWN WEAPONS

There is a passage in Habakkuk which speaks of the people being destroyed by their own weapons. What country has left its weapons in another land so that their enemies may use them against themselves? Which nation has allowed their secrets to be stolen and used by other evil nations?

I wonder.

But take heart. Have the faith of Habakkuk. He comes to understand the larger picture. Habakkuk learns that God is coming again in glory and power. He will set every inch of this earth right again.

REMEMBER HABAKKUK

Habakkuk learned how to trust God in the midst of a crisis.

We must do the same.

He realized his strength comes from serving a very Holy God. This same Holy God is where our strength will come from.

ELUL – A TYPE OF REVIVAL

When Habakkuk has all of his questions answered by God, and he has seen the things to come, he decides to trust God for everything in the midst of it all. In the middle of the chaos he begins to pray. “O Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years.” Habakkuk prays for revival.

In this time of Elul, we stand before our Most Holy God and examine our own lives. We look at the sins of our own nation. Will we have the faith to pray like Habakkuk prayed? Given this knowledge ahead of time, will we repent of anything and everything that is not godly or holy in our lives?

Then we must beg for revival. We too must ask God, “in wrath; please remember mercy.”

Like Habakkuk, we must trust God in the midst of the crisis. It is time to trust and realize our strength comes from serving a Most Holy God.

VERSE

2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

PRAYER

Father, Please bring revival into our land. May the hearts of your people, both native and adopted, be revived. Help our hearts to become holy and reflect the righteousness of Your heart. Amen

SONG

REVIVE US AGAIN by Reawaken Hymns – https://youtu.be/mVLi30-dhic?si=Ejq50_UPYzH7KIGg.