Habakkuk 1, Philemon 1

(Habakkuk 1)

If we haven’t already, each of us will one day, see something we feel confused about as believers. Maybe even as non-believers. Something that we look at and wonder, God, how in the world could you let that to happen. Why are you not intervening? If you are a God of justice, what’s taking so long? Habakkuk obviously felt that way.

He asked, “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?

It’s not wrong to feel that way. Those who are servants of the Lord should be deeply afflicted by seeing ungodliness and violence prevail. But we have to keep perspective in the greatness of God in respect to our humanity. We have to remember our inability to even fathom the path in which God has this world on.

Scripture gives us a reminder of that when Habakkuk writes what God says in verse 5, "Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”

God, we HAVE been told how this story ends. Not just the one we’ve read today, but the story of your Glory as Christ returns. May that be our hope as we press forward in our lives. May we seek after the fullness of Christ and trust in your love, leading, and greatness. Lord, turn our questions into hopeful anticipation of your faithfulness, that we might not question you and weaken our faith, but that we might experience what it’s like to sit in the lap of loving father who wants His absolute best for His children.

(Philemon)

How significant it is that we have others in our lives encouraging us, praying for us, and sharpening us? Paul always made it a point to lead with this in his letters. If this is done right, it’s result is joy, encouragement, refreshment, and thanksgiving back to our God. May we gain advance from the fruit of each others faith, as Paul writes to Philemon in vs.4-7, “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.”