“By Faith – Peter”

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20; 26:69-75; John 21:15-19

Today we take our last look at the impact that faith has had on the lives of people within the pages of scripture.

We began with Job, whose trials all started when the Lord pointed out how faithful and righteous he had always been, and how Satan took that as a personal challenge! Throughout the ordeal that Job would have to endure, his pain and trial would be accentuated by the less than helpful comments of his friends, but his faith would never falter. There were times that he wondered what he might have done to bring about his dilemma, but he never cursed God so that he could die (as his wife suggested) [Job 2:7-10], he never repented of some unknown sin (as his friends suggested) [Job 5:17-18], and he never blamed the Lord God Jehovah for his condition. And God would bless him for that degree of faith.

We looked at Esther – a beautiful young Jewish girl whose family had been enslaved by the Babylonians, resulting in her being born into Persian captivity. Her life had taken a huge turn, when she had been chosen to be queen of the entire empire. This was the good news, but the bad news was that her Jewish heritage, combined with her royal position, would soon require that she take a tremendous risk so that God could work his ways against a treacherous plot to destroy his people (Esther 4:6-17).

We looked at Habakkuk, who had been mourning the sinful state of the Jewish nation, when the Lord spoke to him, revealing an unexpected, and quite outrageous plan to correct the situation. After wondering – and questioning (Habakkuk 1:12-13) - just what the great Jehovah might be up to, the prophet would come to not only accept God’s working, but would turn his disbelief into praise and rejoicing (Habakkuk 3:1-2,19).

We saw the unusual preparation that the Lord used to set Hosea on the path to carry his message of repentance to the people (Hosea 1:2-3), and as unlikely a plan as it was, it was the right one to show this prophet why he had been chosen to proclaim this particular calling.

Last week, we experienced the change that overtook the Pharisee Saul. He had been on his way to Damascus to carry out his vendetta of persecution on the Christians there, but through a visit from the risen Lord Jesus, and by the faithful obedience of Ananias, one of these targeted Christians, he would leave the persecutor Saul at the side of the Damascus Road, and would pick up the mantle as a witness for Jesus Christ as the Apostle Paul. (Acts 9:3-17)

Today, we take a brief look at the faith journey that one of Jesus’ disciples had to take. When the Lord chose Simon, he was a simple fisherman (Matthew 4:18-22), but would become one of the many who would carry the message of Jesus Christ throughout the known world. But the faith walk that Peter would have to take was anything but smooth! He had already tried to walk on water, which didn’t work out all that well. But how about a success? Were there any?

Read Matthew 16:13-20

Caesarea Philippi had been a cultic worship center dedicated to the Greek god Pan. It’s interesting that Jesus would choose a site like this to hold a conversation regarding faith, but then, Jesus seldom did the expected! But this is the right place to ask the question “Who do the people say I am?” This isn’t about who the disciples think he is, but rather who the general populace think he is. And the list is quite impressive – they believe that he is a resurrected prophet! And while this is a high and distinct honor, it still falls short of the truth.
So he then asks his followers who they say he is. Peter alone answers, possibly on behalf of the entire band, that Jesus is not only the Anointed One of God, but that he is actually the Son of God! Peter answers correctly – that Jesus is not just another who utters prophetic words, and who is able to heal the sick and lame, and who can raise the dead, but that he is the long awaited Messiah who would save both Israel and the gentile world.

God has revealed this great truth in the midst of a center of idolatry, and after all, why not? The entire world is afflicted with that same plague, and that is exactly why Jesus - Messiah, Anointed One, Son of the Living God, Redeemer of all the earth – came here in the first place. And it is Peter – the crude fisherman, the one who so easily lost his focus in the storm – who states this heavenly truth, and who Jesus says will be his instrument in carrying the message of life and hope to the idol worshippers of earth.

Peter’s “feet of clay” have become “feet of faith”, and one day, they will serve his Lord very well. But very soon, he will have to learn his lesson all over again.

Read Matthew 26:69-75

Jesus had just been arrested and taken to the Sanhedrin for a mock trial. Peter had already tried to fight the temple soldiers, but Jesus stopped him before he could do any extreme damage to them. Now he had followed the company to Caiaphas’ house, and was waiting in the courtyard with others.
He had been ready to fight for Jesus, but when his own identity was revealed, would he continue to take a stand for his Lord? Earlier that evening, Jesus had prophesied that Peter would deny him three times, but Peter had never accepted that word. (Matthew 26:31-35) But now he knew.

Peter – the one who had proclaimed Jesus as Messiah and as Son of the living God – couldn’t even admit that he had been with Jesus. It was no longer a matter of uncertainty – Peter’s “feet of faith” had reverted to his old “feet of clay”, and very soft clay at that! He even curses Jesus, and proclaims that curses should come down on him, too, if he was lying!
But now he remembers, and now he knows, and now he cries “bitterly” over his failure! Did his tears imply sorrow? A remembrance of all the other times he had failed Jesus? Was there repentance?

We don’t know, with any certainty, what began to stream through his mind and soul that night, but we do know that the Lord never goes back on his word. Peter would be restored in faith, and would become a great servant once again. But in the meantime, he had a few more dark days ahead of him before the light would shine again in his life.

Before we go on to our last passage for the day, a question – do you see yourself in Peter yet? Have you heard Christ’s call on your life? Have you made a confession of faith to Jesus?
But even in faith, have you avoided opportunities to proclaim him to others? To follow his will in your life? To let fear take possession of your spirit and overcome faith? Before you say “No! Never! Not me! ”, remember that Peter said those same words!

Read John 21:15-19

Peter is forgiven with the command to go and care for the flock. And the only qualification for receiving this responsibility is that Peter loves Jesus. He has the keys of heaven, he has the authority to act on behalf of Almighty God (from chapter 16), but now he knows what his love of God, and the authority that Jesus has given him, is going to cost him. Sounds strangely like Jesus’ life, doesn’t it?

How many times had Peter failed Jesus? More than we’ve talked about today! And yet, loving the Lord and accepting the call that is placed on his life is sufficient.
Do you love the Lord? Do you study his word and his ways, and do your best to follow them? Do you seek out the call he places on your life, regardless of what it may entail? Are you willing to live in a relationship with the Lord?

Theologian and author Miroslav Volk wrote:
We can be truly ourselves and free if God lives in us. This is what it means to be God's creature -- not to be a self-made, self-standing individual over against God, but to exist from God and through God. We are creatures precisely in that we live in God and God lives in us.
We are sinful creatures when we fail to recognize this and live as if we were self-made, self-standing individuals. Being a new creature, redeemed from sin, is, in this regard, similar to being a creature as God originally created us to be. It's to live in Christ and to have Christ live in us. United with Christ, we live in God, and God lives in us.

--Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace (Zondervan, 2009), 149.

Think about the 7 people we have studied during the past month and a half – The times when they failed were when they “stood alone”. The times when they succeeded were the times when they allowed God to live within them. It had nothing to do with their abilities or lack thereof, nothing to do with their sinful condition, nothing to do with their greatness or weakness – it was all about trusting in the Lord, and loving him, and striving to serve him.

Can you identify with the struggles of Job, or Esther, of Habakkuk, or Hosea, or Paul, or Ananias, or Peter? If you can, then also identify with the faith that saw them through their trials. Our lives are no different than the lives of these apostles of the Living God – some days things are going to be great, and other days they are anything but great.

So I will leave you with these three verses to encourage you:
Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”
Philippians 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

These thoughts strengthened the prophets, and the disciples, and every faithful person who has ever stepped out in faith to answer God’s call on their life. And they will strengthen each and every one of us, too.

Give it a try – you may never know until you do!

“By Faith – Saul and Ananias”

Scripture: Acts 9:1-19

For the past 4 weeks, we have considered the faith of some very well-known folks in Old Testament times. Each one had their own challenges and struggles in life, but it was their faith and trust in Almighty God that not only saw them through their trials, but led them to bring glory to their Lord.
Today, we begin to consider how some New Testament folks put their faith into action, also in the midst of their own personal struggles, and we begin with a Pharisee named Saul.

As he describes himself in Philippians 3:3-6, he was very possibly the most committed Pharisee who had ever lived. We would probably refer to him as a “Jewish fundamentalist” today, and he was proud of it. He was of the tribe of Benjamin – the smallest of the 12 tribes, but also generally seen as the most faithful. He was zealous beyond description, he was righteous to a fault, he was blameless under the law, and he had taken the lead to persecute anyone who chose to dishonor the faith of Judaism and the Law of Moses, and that especially meant all who followed the teachings of Jesus.
He was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60), and was possibly influential in this heinous act. Throughout the trial and false testimony against him, Stephen’s faith never wavered, and during his stoning, he actually sought God’s forgiveness for his persecutors.

For most folks, the faith that brought about such a peace and confidence, even in the face of violent death, would inspire them to seek the reason and power behind such faith. But in Saul’s case, it only served to encourage him to continue and enlarge his vendetta against Christians wherever he could find them – whether they were located nearby in Jerusalem or in some faraway city. (Acts 8:1-3) Nothing could stop him.

And here is where we begin today’s examination of faith.

Read Acts 9:1-4

Saul’s agenda was about to take him beyond the seat of Jewish legalism and into Gentile territory. But that wouldn’t be much of a stretch for this “Hebrew of Hebrews” – he had been born and raised in Tarsus, which was located near the southern boundary of today’s Turkey, and on a major trade route that led to Damascus. Both of these cities would have been commercial, as well as intellectual centers of Roman influence, and Saul would have fit in perfectly.
But his agenda had nothing to do with commercialism or education – he was on a mission of faith. He had an endorsement from the high priest of Jerusalem, and this “servant of persecution” intended to make a name for himself.

His plan was to rid the world of this scourge known as “The Way” – the name that early Christians identified with. As far as he was concerned, they could either swear against the name of Jesus, or they could die – either way, he would have been satisfied. But it seems that God had a plan that was about to supersede that of the Pharisee!

Saul was nearing the end of his journey – Damascus was nearly in sight. He was mentally finalizing his plans – where he would begin, who he would seek out for support, who in his entourage he could trust to work on their own, and dreaming about how many of those blasphemers he would drag back to Jerusalem for trial. He was undoubtedly excited over the prospects, when suddenly, he is brought up short by the most dazzling light he had ever seen. It had to be from Jehovah God – was he about to be commissioned by the Lord Himself, to be blessed for his intensity of faith in purging the false teachings of Jesus from the face of the earth?

Not exactly! While he was so intent in converting others to his brand of faith, God was about to show this zealot what Divine Truth was all about. “Saul, why are you persecuting me? Do you hate me that much?”

Read Acts 9:5-9

“Persecute you, Lord?” Could this really be God? If it is, why would Yahweh think I hate him?

The realization of God’s presence, and the reality of what he had actually been doing, began to flood his soul. He had thought that he was living and working within God’s will, but now he knew that his efforts had all been directed against his God! His eyes could no longer see, but his spiritual vision now had a clarity unlike anything he had ever known before.
Saul - a man of strength, a man of conviction, a man of action - was helpless. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t lead, he couldn’t act – he had lost all sense of control over his life, and the truth is that he would never again know the control and authority that had once sustained him in all that he did. He was about to discover that those attributes never were his to begin with – that they had been the Lord’s all along, and that he was about to experience an authority that was truly great.

He knew that Jesus had been crucified, had died, and was buried, but he thought that the stories of his coming back to life were just that – stories. But now – how could a dead person be persecuted? How could a dead person speak to him? How could this light, these words, this feeling – come from any mortal being? Jesus must have been – must BE – Messiah! How could he have been so wrong, - so blind - toward God?!!

And his mission changes. He is still to go into Damascus, but now it is Christ who will be giving directions, and not his own free will.

Read Acts 9:10-14

Enters Ananias – a man who knew that he would soon be on Saul’s list of people to arrest, but it seems that their meeting will occur sooner than later! Ananias also hears the voice of Christ, but compare his response to that of Saul! Saul asks “Who are you, Lord?” while Ananias replies “Yes, Lord.” Both men hear the voice of God, but only one knows whose voice it is. Now we know what Jesus was telling us in John 10:14-15; 25-30, when he says that his “sheep”, his followers, hear and know his voice, but those who do not believe find his voice foreign to them.
At first, Saul didn’t know the voice of God, but very soon, he would begin to hear that voice for the rest of his life.

And Ananias had some of his own issues to deal with. The Lord had given both men a vision of what is about to happen, but Ananias isn’t too comfortable with this arrangement! I don’t think that his faith had suffered – it’s just that he is a bit uncertain about how he could possibly help this man who hated everything the faithful believed. All he is told is that Saul has lost his sight, and that he is to lay hands on him and heal him.

How would we react in a similar situation? Scared stiff, I imagine! And so was this man, but I think that even though he was frightened, his faith was still intact. Fear and faith can live within us at the same time, but when fear takes control, it is then that faith is placed in jeopardy! But faith can also overcome fear, and that is where Ananias was that day. He wasn’t expressing doubt that God could work in this situation – I think he just wanted to be sure that he was hearing the Lord correctly.

I don’t think it is ever wrong to ask Jesus if what we think we heard is actually what He wants us to do! Being certain of God’s call on our lives is a serious matter, and I truly believe that the Lord will honor our desire for certainty and assurance. Ananias wanted to serve the Lord faithfully, and he wanted to be certain of what he was being asked to do.

Read Acts 9:15-19

Jesus acknowledges the man’s uncertainty, and reveals what will come from his faithful obedience. Ananias is to have a share in Saul’s conversion experience, a process that Jesus could certainly have carried out all by himself. But he allows this “sheep who knows his voice” to have a role in his glorious work.

If we have faith in Christ, if we trust in his power and majesty and abilities, if we believe that his way in life, and his call on our lives, is always for our benefit, it is then that we will see his glory at work. Ananias did exactly as the Lord instructed him – he went to the house on Straight Street, he laid hands on the very man whose original plan was to arrest him and have him tried and sentenced for blasphemy, and when, in faith, he did as he was told, the man Saul began his own journey in faith. It was a huge risk, but fear couldn’t control the actions of that day. Martin Luther once wrote “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” Ananias’ faith was worth eternity – not only for him, but for the “new” man Paul!

There’s a story that there was a Bible study teacher in mid-1800’s Boston by the name of Mr. Kimball. He felt that there was a young man in his class who he needed to lead into Christ’s plan of salvation. He was very uncertain about this, but one day as he passed the store where the young man worked, he felt a strong urge to go in and speak to the man. Mr. Kimball cautiously and tentatively did as he felt the Lord had called him, believing later that it was entirely inadequate, but, just the same, he encouraged his young friend to give his life to the Lord, and before he left the store, it happened – the young man accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
We never hear anything else about Mr. Kimball – I don’t even know his first name, and this may be the one and only time he ever lead another person to Christ, but the one who he did lead that day would become a great evangelist for the Lord. The name of this young store clerk? D. L. Moody.

Are you available to be an Ananias or a Kimball? Neither one was a great orator, neither one would have a name that resonated through the ages, neither one would ever be like Paul or Moody, but they were still a vital part of the Lord’s plan for the world. And you never know when the Lord has a great task for you, too. Are you prepared, in faith, as Ananias and Mr. Kimball were?

Don’t miss the opportunity!

“By Faith – Hosea”

Scripture: Hosea 14:1-9

Hosea becomes a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel about 10 years before Assyria invades the nation, and about 30 years before the kingdom falls. His message to the people is “Turn away from the sinful lifestyle that has ensnared you, and return to the love of your Lord God Jehovah.”
Israel had broken the covenant that the Lord had made for them, and the Godly relationship was in tatters. Foreign gods, and the images that represented them, were being worshipped on a regular basis; foreign lifestyles and the brokenness that they bring were destroying the nation; foreign sons and daughters were being married to the children of Israel; and the one true God was being left out in the cold.
Of course, none of it was God’s doing – his love and faithfulness for the people was still strong and inviolate. He hadn’t moved – the people are the ones who had turned their backs on their Most High and Living God, in favor of dead gods made of stone and wood. The Great Jehovah sent prophet after prophet to the nation, calling them to repentance. Hosea was one of them, but few would listen.

The Lord had prepared the prophet for this task in a very unusual way. Hosea was told to take an adulterous woman called Gomer as his wife, and that she would be unfaithful to him. They would have three children that we know of and each would receive a name of condemnation. And through Gomer and the children, God showed the prophet that the people no longer looked to him as Lord – that they were being adulterous toward him. (Hosea 1)

Hosea loved his wife and was faithful to her, but, as God predicted, Gomer had other plans. She cared nothing for her husband, and took off for parts unknown, to engage in relationships that were nothing, if not temporary, in nature. There was no respect or love shown by these other men, but she continued in her lifestyle in spite of the love and warmth and affection that awaited her back home.

Israel was Gomer. The people had prostituted themselves with other gods, even though they had received nothing from them in return. But God was still there, waiting and watching and sending message after message calling them to come back to him. And the Lord told Hosea that there would be a day when he would purify them and would then buy them back.

Read Hosea 2:14-17; 19

And Hosea is told to go and find Gomer and take her back as his beloved wife. He discovers where she is, and buys her from whoever owns her at the time. She will have to spend some time with no fine clothes, no savory foods, no physical affection, (Hosea 2:2-3; 9-10) but when the time of separation is sufficient, her husband will welcome her once again as his wife.
So it is between God and his people Israel.

Read Hosea 14:1-3

The prophet calls the people to repentance. They had become so wrapped up in doing things their own way that God had been left by the wayside. And this isn’t a message for just a few – it is for the entire nation. Hosea wants the people to understand the reality of what they have been doing! He says that their sin has been their downfall – but isn’t that true for all of us? The problem with sin is our tendency to forget that these worldly ways, these self gratifying ways, are the ways of earth, and not of God! And when we plan to make our own ways in life, it never turns out well. There is destruction, there is death in sin, and salvation can only be found in the Living Lord.

Remember the names of Hosea and Gomer’s children – those names of condemnation? The first, a son, was called Jezreel, after the site of betrayal and massacre (2 Kings 10). The second, a daughter, was called Lo-Ruhamah, to indicate that God would no longer show his love to Israel – he would still have love for them, but they wouldn’t experience it. The third, another son, would be called Lo-Ammi to imply a break in the marvelous relationship that had once existed between the Lord and Israel.

But the prophet is telling the people that there is still time to find their way back into God’s grace – IF they will turn away from their sinfulness, IF they will seek the Lord’s forgiveness for their failures in his name, and IF they begin to place their worship in the hands of the One True and Living God once more.

Read Hosea 14:4-8

And IF they turn back, IF they begin to follow the Lord’s ways once again, IF they denounce the gods that they had created and had then celebrated, the True Lord would be merciful and gracious to them once again. The Lord uses several images to describe the renewed relationship that will exist, IF Israel comes back.

He will “heal their waywardness and love them freely”. In other words, God will forgive their sin, effectively closing the great divide that their sin has created, and his love for the people will be restored to them without measure.
He “will be like the dew” – God will refresh and nourish and nurture the nation. They “will blossom” – they will flourish again; their roots within the Land will go deep, and they will be secure.
Ephraim, or Israel, will have nothing to do with idols anymore – their eyes will be focused on only Jehovah God, and the Lord will reciprocate – his eyes and his benevolence will be on his people once again. And he will be like a giant tree – giving shade, and protection, and fruit, and comfort.

When Israel returns from their wayward ways, God will restore the covenant, and they will know his love and passion, and it will be just as intense and perfect as it was before.

Read Hosea 14:9

The last verse of this book is for all who come after, those who will read this account of God’s faithfulness – it’s for us (!) – it describes what will come to everyone who leaves their sin and returns to his ways. The central 10 chapters of this book (chapters 4-13) are about the times when our faithlessness takes control of our lives, and turns us away from the goodness of the Lord. And when we move away, we can no longer know and follow God’s ways, because our sight is focused elsewhere.
Have you even been driving down the road, when something off to the side catches your attention? As you look in this other direction, as you focus on something of interest other than the road, you will begin to drift in that direction. And the longer your gaze is diverted, the further you will move away from where you should be! And if you continue to stare to the side of the road long enough, you will wind up crashing into some obstacle, with dire consequences!

That’s what sin does to us. It diverts our focus from God and his ways, and it inevitably will result in chaos and catastrophe for our lives.

But Hosea writes that IF we are wise, IF we are discerning (paying attention), we will understand and recognize the life hazards that are around us, and will keep our focus upon the Lord and his call on our life. But there are so many people today who think God’s ways don’t make sense, or that they are wrong, or that they have been misinterpreted, or that they need to be updated to reflect current societal norms. But quite honestly, those are the very obstacles that Hosea has been warning us about!
That’s a problem that we all are prone to stumble over. In Isaiah 55:8-9, we read “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We don’t, and can’t, understand the ways of God, and when we begin to think that we know better than the Lord, it is then that we become “Gomers” in the life we lead. We decide that our ignorance of God is actually a matter of superior knowledge, and that our inability to understand the purpose of his ways means that his ways are inferior and purposeless when compared to ours. But the truth is that we aren't called to understand - we are simply called to faithfully follow the Lord's lead!

Talk about creating an idol! Our abilities and thoughts become a false god that stands against the Lord God Almighty! That is Satan’s issue, isn’t it! He believed that he was just as good as God, and maybe even better, and he didn’t like taking a back seat. And we know what came of his arrogance!

Where is our faith centered? Where is our allegiance? Where is our hope? Whose disciple are we?
Really!
Are we God’s, or are we our own?

“By Faith – Habakkuk”

Scripture: Habakkuk 3:1-19

Our faith example for today is one of the Minor Prophets. His name is Habakkuk, and he had a problem – If God is such a just and righteous God, why are our lives plagued so by injustice, and why is evil so prevalent and persistently against us? How do we continue to have faith in the ultimate power of justice, while living in a world that is so overwhelmingly unjust? Job seemed to have dealt with similar feelings, while never losing faith in his Lord’s righteous nature. Today, we see how this prophet dealt with his issues.

When Habakkuk begins his lament, it had been about 100 years since the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to the onslaught of Assyria, and was taken into captivity. Now, it is the Southern Kingdom of Judah’s turn to face great tribulation at the hands of a foreign evil. All during Israel’s sinful history, Judah had managed to remain relatively faithful, but sin always seems to be able to work its way into our lives, regardless of our desires.

Habakkuk’s prophesy is a little different than other prophetic books – this is more of a struggle with the prophet’s understanding of, and trust in God, than it is a declaration of failure against the people. This is a personal story, and in that regard, this book may actually be our book! He asks several questions of God, striving to resolve the apparent dichotomy between his belief in the divine nature, and what he and his nation is going through at the time.
He asks questions like “How long must I go on calling out to you for help?” And “Why are you making me go through such trying times?” And “Why are you being so tolerant of sin and evil ways?” And “Why are you silent while the wicked destroy the lives of your righteous people?”

Do any of these sound familiar to you? Is there anything here that you personally may have thrown up to the Almighty? And the Lord’s answers, at first, don’t bring any satisfaction to Habakkuk’s troubled soul, just as his answers to you may have been just as troubling. But slowly, the prophet begins to trust in Jehovah’s ways, even if he doesn’t totally understand them. As “trust” begins to rebuild his sagging spirit, and as he finally confesses that he will wait and watch for his God to work (Habakkuk 2:1), the prophet offers the most heartfelt prayer of celebration to Almighty God.

This is his prayer of rejoicing.

Read Habakkuk 3:1-7

The structure of the prayer that is lifted up is reminiscent of the Psalms, and in these first seven verses, he offers nothing but praise to God. Habakkuk offers up a glowing tribute to the Lord, but is this from the prophet’s new-found faith, or is it a vision from God? Back in the beginning of chapter 2 (2:2-3), God tells the prophet that he is giving him a revelation, and that he is to write it down. The first 15 verses of this prayer may very well be that God-given prophecy, and Habakkuk is overjoyed to both preserve it and share it with us.

The might of the Divine Lord is presented in marvelous terms – almost in militaristic splendor! His power is unlike anything that exists on earth, and nothing can stand against him. The prophet compares the glory of God to the grandeur of creation, which isn’t such a far out comparison!
In verse 5, where we read that plague goes before him and pestilence follows, these aren’t just a reference to worldly calamities that destroy our lives - they are intended to resemble a military campaign. God can even use the types of disasters that assail our lives as his own army, wielding out his justice against evil instead of against humanity in general. And even the created nature has no power or permanence, and it can never stand against the might of God.

Read Habakkuk 3:8-15

And not only can’t nature stand against the Lord, the warrior God’s power can even seem like the very acts of nature that astound us and amaze us when they are loosened. Floods, earthquakes, thunder and lightning – we have little recourse when these powers of nature occur, and these things can only begin to describe what the Lord’s vengeance against the evil of earth will be like. And the prophet rejoices that this is what will, one day, come to justify the time of waiting that we have to endure while we watch for the day when the Lord’s anger will be released.

But this won’t be revealed during Habakkuk’s life time, and it may very well come about long after our own! Yes, the Lord will use Babylon to destroy the evil of Judah, and eventually, he will use the Medo-Persians to destroy the evil of Babylon, but that will only be a sample of what is going to come against the collective wickedness of earth. Habakkuk’s prophecy in prayer is a proclamation of the Day of Victory that will come in Christ Jesus’ return.

In verse 12, we read that God will “thresh” the nations. For those of us who aren’t familiar with agricultural terms, threshing is the process that is used to separate the grain from the straw and chaff – the undesirable parts that are useful only as bedding or fuel. In Zephaniah 2:1-2, he speaks of the day when evil will be driven away as the winds carry the chaff away. And in Matthew 3:11-12, John the Baptist, in speaking about the baptism by spirit and fire that will come to us by Jesus, says that the Lord will be gathering his wheat (the righteous) into his granary, while the remaining chaff (evil and sin) will be completely destroyed.
By the example of a very common event, the prophet describes how God will be resolving our dilemma of pain and suffering and sin. And even in the confidence that Satan and his minions may have for their success, they will have none, for victory will all belong to the Christ.

Read Habakkuk 3:16-19

The vision ends and Habakkuk responds. As we begin to read these last few verses, can you begin to sense the level of excitement in the prophet’s soul? His heart pounds, his lips quiver, his legs tremble, and yet, he can still wait patiently and expectantly for the Lord’s Day to come. Contrast this with the first part of this book, in which we read only of Habakkuk’s deep frustration and great pain because of the sin and evil that is all around him.

Do you understand why I originally said that this is a book about us? Are you one who has pleaded with Jesus to end the foolishness of this world? Are you one who has asked “How long will you continue to allow your faithful people to be brutally slaughtered by the evils of Satan?” Have you ever wondered out loud how long it will be before the Church can set the ways of earth far behind and truly become one in Christ?

No one can know for certain when that will happen, except to know that the Day of the Lord’s return will be the day when the answer to all of our questions is a resounding “TODAY!” But until then, worrying about the present condition of our lives will gain us nothing (Matthew 6:25-34). Matthew 6 advises us to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV) This is the lesson that our brother Habakkuk had to learn, and it is the lesson that each of us must begin to lean heavily upon. The prophet was worried about the ravages that sin was inflicting on the nation, but he eventually came to the conclusion that faith had nothing to do with God accomplishing the acts that he wanted. Faith is about enduring the travesties of earth while having complete trust that the glorious Day of the Lord is on its way, and that on that day, Christ will be victorious and sin will be defeated!

Habakkuk discovered that in his fear, in his anguish, in his failure to see God at work in his life, he was relinquishing the faith that would sustain him throughout his trials. And we must learn this for our own lives – that today is, in general, not the promise or the doing of God. Our hope is for a joy filled faith that will sustain us until His tomorrow arrives.

Praise the Lord!