By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. Hebrews 11:17-19

When you first read the story of God coming to Abraham and telling to offer up his son as a sacrifice, you're puzzled by it. For one thing, why would God do ask such a thing? and Why would Abraham attempt to do such a thing? But of course we've read the entire story and can see what God was doing. Even as I read it a dozen times, I'll always pause when he lifts the knife to slay his son. How difficult that must have been for him to do that. What kind of faith did it take to do that? It's something we hope we're never faced with.

We Abraham and Isaac as a "type." Fast forward many many years and we see another Father offering to sacrifice his son for an ungrateful people. It boggles the mind why the Father would do that to His Son and why the Son just took it. Quite frankly, at any moment during Jesus' time on earth, He could have called a host of angels (and several additional hosts on standby) to come and sweep Him away. This time, though, the Father allowed His Son to be bloodied and killed.

And for what?

Yeah, for you and me.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-17

This world is not my home I'm just passing through
my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore   Albert E. Brumley

How "at home" do we feel down here? Are we longing for something better, something more satisfying? Are you okay with being an alien or a stranger? Are we homesick for our heavenly home?

I've said it a dozen times in this space and I'll say it a dozen more: as the world increases in its hatred towards truth and vibrant moral values, those who have the truth will be persecuted. Or, as we disagree more with what is displayed as truth, people will become hostile towards us. I don't want that necessarily, but we shouldn't be disappointed in the least if we are.

We in the West have been sheltered against the persecution that exists in the world. As an example, Muslim acts against Christians and Jews go unreported by a biased media. However, anything committed against Muslims gets broadcast in headlines. Of course it's not fair. No one said it would be.

So, again I ask the questions: How "at home" do you feel down here? Are you longing for something better, something more satisfying? Are you okay with being an alien or a stranger? Are you homesick for your heavenly home?

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. Hebrews 11:11-12

It would be very easy for me to pass right over these verses and justify it by saying that not a lot of people are actually reading these devotions. You see, these scriptures are painful to read because my wife and I aren't able to have children and raise them here on earth. They're even more painful when others have quoted the verses back to us as evidence that our faith is lacking or any number of comments made by well-meaning people. As I'm learning, not every promise given to men and women in the Bible is for me or you (for instance, God told Abraham he'd be the father of many nations, not any of us). But I've chosen to go through the Hall of Faith, and this particular miracle deserves a word or two.

We all know the story. Both Abram and Sarai were in their 80s. God told Abram his heirs would outnumber the stars in the sky. Sarah convinced Abram to sleep with her maid, and Ishmael was the result. When Abram and Sarai were in their 90s, God again told Abram (now Abraham) that he would be the father of many nations and that Sarai (now Sarah) would be the mother to bear that child. Sarai overheard it and laughed. Isaac was the resulting child.

If you've ever uttered the words, "okay, but I'm not sure how you're going to do it" then you understand faith a little. It wasn't Abraham or Sarah's "problem" to circumvent the laws of biology to produce Isaac. That was God's "problem." It was Abraham and Sarah's responsibility to care for the child when he was born. After doubting a little (through their laugh), they believed.

The takeaway for this passage is this: "Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness" Hebrews 15:6. It's the fundamental truth of our faith.

For he [Abraham] was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:10

After my first extended visit overseas, I remember flying into San Francisco, my port of entry. I was 23 and had been on my own in England, and was now on my way back to Alaska. I was giddy as we came in to land. The air hostess said this immediately upon touching down, "If this is your first time in America, Welcome to the United States of America. If you are returning, welcome home!"

That's it, Welcome Home! It brought tears. Those are wonderful words to hear when you've been away for a while, whether it's across the world or across the state.

Welcome Home.

Home is familiar. At home you get to sleep in your own bed with your own pillow and sheets when you want and for how long you want. You relax at home. You don't need to worry about putting on a show for others. You're at home.

As Christians we have another home: heaven. Have you thought about heaven lately? Have you considered what it will be like living in a city designed and built by God himself? What will it look like? Who will we know there? What does absolute perfection look like? Streets of gold. Gates of pearl. No mourning or crying or tears or sorrow. Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself, as that is the New Jerusalem that the book of Revelations talks about, another home we can look forward to. Or perhaps they're one in the same.

Think about Heaven today. Think about seeing the Lamb who took away the sin of the world. Think about thousands upon thousands of angels worshiping God.

Think about…Heaven.

By faith he [Abraham] made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. Hebrews 11:9

God clearly told Abraham to go to a foreign land. Everything about this new land was different for Abraham and his family. It took a long time to understand the culture and the ways of the people living there. When he was new to the land, everything was peculiar. Not bad necessarily, but different.

Like many of you reading this, I have lived overseas on occasion. It took some time to get used to how people did things. Then the strange and odd become normal and accepted. When I returned "home" I did little things that people questioned – the exact same things I thought were odd when I was first in the country.

As Christians, we have different values and beliefs than "the world." Often what is wrong is right, and what is right is wrong in many eyes. Up is down and down is up. We scratch our heads that so many people could believe it as such. Over the last decade or two, more and more things have become acceptable in the eyes of the world. Sadly, wanting to fit in and not make waves, many Christians have gradually accepted these values as part of their own.

But all is not lost. Many believers are resisting the allure of sin that has overtaken society. They are taking a stance against grievous evils. Many are sounding the "danger" alarm. As the world becomes more and more hostile towards Christianity, we will need to make some tough life or death choices (mainly our own). I don't mean to sound alarmist but I see what's coming and it isn't pretty.

But God, who is faithful and merciful, will give us the words to say and actions to perform at that time.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

Abraham had no guarantees. Like many of us, he didn't know where he was going, when he'd get there, or what he would experience along the way (Genesis 12). It was certainly a faith journey, especially because he was 75 at the time, and many others also accompanied him (Genesis 12:5). It might have been easy for him to ignore the calling God had on him by making excuses. At 75 people tend to get set in their ways.

But Abraham (at the time Abram) was faithful. If God told him it would happen, it was the real deal. Not only had God told him to go to a different land, but God also told him he would be the father of many nations even before he even had one child.

God is leading some of you to do great things for God. He is prodding you to take some first steps. He knows your skills, your strengths, your weaknesses, and your passions. He will use you. God will reward your faithfulness to Him.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7

I return to Noah because he's such an intriguing man of God. I was thinking about him today and it dawned on me: Noah was stubborn.

That's it. Yes, he had faith. No one denies that. But he had grit and spunk that few ever had. He preached righteousness for 120 years. How many converts? Today, the church growth experts would shut down and defund his gigantic construction project for lack of "results."

Say what you want about Noah, but he was a stubborn man of God.

I've traveled all over the world and lived in places you only hear about on the news. I don't really consider myself stubborn until I recall what I've had to do just to get there: support raising (and subsequent rejection), prayer letters, visas, passports, shots, belongings placed in two duffle bags, giardia (google it), insults because of my skin color and nationality, pockets picked, regular power and water outages, and a whole host of other events. I was stubborn. I had to be.

And chances are, if you've known God for any length of time, you've had to be stubborn for God too. You've had to make tough decisions that non-believers didn't have to face. Your faith gets regularly ridiculed in the media. At times it's totally unfair and downright nasty. But you press on. Giving up is not an option.

Keep it up. Keep up the faith you knew when you were a baby Christian. Hang in there. You're not alone. You are not alone. Renew that first love you had for Him.

Become stubborn for Christ!

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7

It has to be the longest construction project ever: 120 years working on a wooden ship.

Noah did it by faith.

Up to that point, it had never rained before, so even the concept of rain was foreign to Noah and those who watched him day after day (Genesis 2:5-6).

I suspect he was harassed and ridiculed. The people probably laughed at the monstrosity Noah was building. His family probably thought he wasn’t altogether with it. He probably continued to warn them that it was going to rain and that they needed to be prepared. But he labored on because he had faith in what God had told him. God was sustaining Noah for all those years.

God had given him specific instructions on how it was to be built and who would go in.

One hundred twenty years he labored.

Then it neared completion so he started gathering the animals. Big. Small. Colorful. Ugly. Beautiful. Creepy, Cute. Then he corralled the people: his wife, three boys and their wives, and himself. They were in the ark for seven days before the rains came (Genesis 7:7). Those last seven days had to test his faith, waiting, just waiting for the water to fall from the sky.

Perhaps God has “told” you something and you have no idea how it could possibly come true, but you know beyond a doubt that it was God. You may have to wait a long time to see it occur before your eyes. There will be doubts and fears. Hang in there.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

After discussing creation, Cain and Abel, and Enoch as they all relate to faith, the writer of the Book of Hebrews pauses to expound slightly on pleasing God. It's perhaps one of the better known verses in Hebrews. How can we please God?

By faith.

The two words are as complex as they are short. People have faith in a lot of different things: Some strongly believe that there is intelligent life outside this world that will be able to help us. Many truly believe that saving the Earth and its animal inhabitants is our salvation. Atheists have faith that what they believe is true. And many people believe that mankind will be saved when there is absolutely no oppression or financial inequities in the world.

As we continue to work through the Book of Hebrews, pay careful attention to the two characteristics that the people in the Hall of Faith had: (1) believing he exists and (2) earnestly seeking Him. And they were sure of what they hoped for and certain of what they didn't see. These faith warriors will provide us much food for thought as we seek to imitate their faith

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. Hebrews 11:5

Pleasing God. It's what many of us aspire to do. We yearn for God to find favor in the things we say and do. We long for His approval. Enoch did just that and God commended him for it.

Enoch was a unique individual. He was one of three Bible characters (Melchizedek and Elijah were the other two), who was translated from life to eternity without stopping at death. So if we seek to please God, what are our chances of this happening to us? Researchers estimate that 106 billion people have ever populated the earth. Three have never died. It's not likely that you or I will be the lucky ones to experience this.

Enoch walked with God, he was married, had children, and lived 365 years (Genesis 5:21-24). Another reference to him in Biblical literature is in Jude: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

Other than a brief bio in Genesis and his only recorded words, we see a man who walked with God and pleased Him. It's probably the highest compliment we could ever receive from others. It's certainly what we long to hear God say about us.

By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. Hebrews 11:4

Genesis 4. Cain and Abel. Cain brought "the fruit of the land" as an offering and Abel brought the firstborn from the flock of his sheep. Both were probably taught about offerings and the need to bring first fruits or the firstborn. The passage is clear that Abel brought the firstborn while Cain gave some of his fruits and vegetables. It was Cain's poor attitude that made the difference.

Some have suggested that the issue was vegetables vs. meat that the Lord didn't like, but Leviticus 2 discusses grain as a bona fide offering to the Lord.

Abel was commended for his offering. He didn't wait until the lamb grew before offering it. It was an act of faith. Abel had no way of knowing that the ewe would continue to birth additional offspring.

How can we learn from this faith? Sometimes God requires us to do things that will cost us: time, money, talents. Fortunately our faith grows as we exercise that faith to accomplish the things that cost us the most.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11:3

We've all heard the story: God created the world out of nothing. At His command. Nothing to something. First there was God. Then he reached into the void to create something out of nothing. Essentially, it's the creation story. Intelligent design is the fancier, more modern phrase for it.

Even as an unbeliever when I was growing up, I had a sense that there was a God in heaven who could pretty much do as He pleased. To an Almighty God, nothing would have been too difficult for Him. Nothing.

I still believe that. There is an element of faith in believing that He created something out of nothing. It's not a large leap of faith for me, but I know others struggle with it.

Be encouraged today that an All Powerful God created this world. At times it's chaotic and confusing and downright hostile to people of faith, but there is order when you examine it. If we can wrap our minds around the events of the creation story (from a formless void to a populated earth), then a lot of other “faith” issues may fall into place.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. Hebrews 11:1-2

In the next few weeks I will be going through the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. I will spend at least one day on each of those mentioned in this chapter.

Entire libraries have been written about faith. We have a sure hope in Jesus although we do not see Him. A number of years ago, Larry King asked Billy Graham, “do you have any doubt about your eternal destiny?” Absolutely not. King asked the question a number of different ways, and Mr. Graham's response was the same: “I have a hope, and this hope is Jesus.” Without hesitation. Without fear. Period. Paragraph.

Those "cloud of witnesses” who have gone before us in Hebrews 11 have left us with a fantastic legacy. We would do well to remember their faith and courage. We don't have all the facts about end times and the future and what will happen when we pass on, but we do have enough information to see us through.

A poor man’s field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away. Proverbs 13:23

If you do a quick search throughout the Scriptures, you’ll see that God has a special place in his heart for the poor and needy and those who cannot defend themselves. The poor rarely have an honest voice (when they have a voice at all) in government. In many lands, what they do have is ripped away by greedy bureaucrats and power-hungry officials.

Stop today to consider the plight of the poor and the needy. Many, through no fault of their own, are in desperate situations. We all need discernment in how to help. But help them we should.

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

The destruction is coming; Habakkuk senses it. He knows something horrible is approaching. He doesn’t know exactly when, but it’s coming.

And yet.

I love that.

And “yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

God is Habakkuk’s strength, despite his trembling legs and cropless fields and non-existent animals. God is Habakkuk’s strength when the world has come crashing down all around him.

May it also be said of us that God is our strength, and He enables us to go to the heights.

I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of
Midian in anguish.

Were you angry with the rivers, O LORD ? Was your wrath
against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode with your
horses and your victorious chariots?

You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. Selah

You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and
writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on
high.

Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your
flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear.

In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you
threshed the nations.

You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed
one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from
head to foot. Selah

With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors
stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who
were in hiding.

You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great
waters.

The ten verses in this section of Habakkuk’s prayer
re-emphasize God’s glory and majesty. The Lord is worthy to be praised. It is a
good thing to praise God. There’s no greater time than the present to praise
Him because:

1. it gives us perspective on who He is and what He has done
2. it reminds us of our role in relation to Him (potter/clay, master/servant, Father/children)
3. if we don’t, He could ask a few rocks to do the same (Luke 19:40)
4. it acknowledges that it’s not really about us as much as we hate to admit it
5. it peels away our subtle pride of desiring to be in control
6. He's worthy.

Certainly life would go on if we didn’t stop to praise God. But we’d miss out in a big way if we didn’t.

God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal. Habakkuk 3:3-5

(FYI: According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Teman was originally the name of a tribe and then of a district of the Edomites. The Temanites were famed for their wisdom. And Moses repeated the Law to the Israelites "between Paran and Tophel" (Deuteronomy 1:1). Teman speaks to his Wisdom, and Paran speaks to his glory.)

Everything about these verses acknowledge the awe and inspiration of an Almighty God. Nothing we can fathom compares. Habakkuk speaks in terms that he understood. For instance:

• How do you describe the nuances and color splashes of a sunrise or a sunset to someone who is not there with you?
• How do you describe the Northern Lights to someone who has never seen snow or experienced zero degrees temperatures?
• How can you comprehend a million galaxies when the Milky Way is beyond our current understanding? 
• How is it possible to count the thoughts that God has about you (Ps. 139:17)?

Answer: you can't.

We get but a glimpse of God's power and majesty. For now.

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. Habakkuk 3:2b

This is an interesting and overlook-able four words right in the midst of Habakkuk's prayer to God. First he praises God for his awesome deeds, asks Him to make those deeds known, then he takes a twist and asks God to have mercy when He's doling out His wrath. It's almost as if Habakkuk's saying, "go easy on those who can't really see your awesome deeds!"

Contrast this with another prophet, Jonah. After Jonah preached to Nineveh, he sulked because he knew that God would spare Nineveh if they repented. And God did spare Nineveh (one instance of Habakkuk's prayer being answered).

I find that I fall into Jonah's camp of desiring God to completely destroy civilizations much more often than Habakkuk's view that God should exercise mercy when He's angry. It's a tension we need to experience occasionally to keep our emotions and thoughts in check. It probably wouldn't hurt us to err on the side of mercy.

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. Habakkuk 3:2

A number of years ago I saw
a simple Ziggy cartoon. Ziggy was on a cliff watching a brilliant sunrise and
said, “Go God! Do it again.” In childlike faith, the cartoon character
expressed what we often want to say.

“God, you are awesome!” This is the essence of Habakkuk’s prayer. Like Ziggy,
Habakkuk is saying, “you did it before, there’s no reason why you can’t or
won’t do it again.”

Praising
God like this seems like such a simple thing to do, but it’s a subtle
acknowledgment that we aren’t in control. And that’s not always easy because
we like to be in control. The more we acknowledge that we aren’t in control,
the better it will go for us.

Go, God. Do it again!

You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed! The cup from the LORD's right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.

But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." Habakkuk 2:16-20

The Lord continues his response to Habakkuk about how He would deal with Babylon because of her atrocities, and “it ain't pretty!” He mocks wood and stone in verse 18. Today he could substitute green paper called “money”, and it would have the same effect. Money would give the same answers, which is to say, none at all.

There is nothing hidden from God's sight (Hebrews 4:13). We know that. We've probably memorized the entire verse, but the worries and cares of life crowd us and we forget.

• We forget that when we glance at the sun rising in the morning that Creator God caused it to happen.
• We forget that every amount of injustice caused by others is seen and noted.
• We forget that some of the most miserable and unhappy people in the world are the people who have fame, fortune, and looks in their favor (e.g., Hollywood).
• We forget that God is continually trying to draw us unto Himself.
• And lastly we forget that God will silence those who have opposed Him and mocked Him and spat upon His name.

Today, take a few minutes to be silent before the God of the Universe.

“Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin!
You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.
The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.
“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime!
Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.  Habakkuk 2:9-14

This is a continuation of yesterday’s verses on the judgment of Babylon and its rulers. And it could be straight from the headlines of some of the nations in the news today.

More than a decade ago, the nations of the world sat back as the small country of Rwanda was embroiled in what is now called “ethnic cleansing” or genocide. More than 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered in a period of 100 days. I say that the world sat back because it was happening in front of us and we toyed around with the word “genocide” because we couldn’t believe it was actually happening “on our watch” or we didn’t want to get involved.

Sadly, it is happening again in a few nations that do not get a lot of press. The region of Darfur Sudan is one such place. The Muslim Khartoum regime is slaughtering unarmed innocents in that region and the world debates the real meaning of the word “genocide.” The death toll is rising, though not as quickly as it did in Rwanda. Make no mistake, though, if nobody was watching or monitoring the situation, there would probably be nobody left alive in Darfur, and quite probably all of south Sudan.

Pray that the Church will continue to thrive and be a powerful force against Satan and his minions in Sudan. One day, as Habakkuk 2:14 states: the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. “Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, ‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’ Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their victim. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. Habakkuk 2:5-8

God, in his response to Habakkuk, is describing the Babylonian King, and by extension, those who are arrogant. What God’s describing is really no different than the kind of society we’re living in today. Arrogance. Greed. Unsatisfied. Extortion. Murderous. Destruction. Because of these (and more), harsh judgment is on its way.

Even though Babylon will be bringing judgment against Judah, God saw Babylon’s arrogance and haughtiness. He sees what they’re about and is waiting to judge them as well. He has taken notice and will act in His time.

An old Russian proverb goes like this: God sees everything but waits. In other words, it’ll be okay because God is a righteous judge. We don’t understand God’s patience, especially when it comes to blatant evil. We want the judgment to happen now, or better yet, yesterday!

Be encouraged that there is a coming judgment, and The Perfect Judge will preside. No judgments will be too harsh; no verdicts will be too lenient.

Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not right—but the righteous will live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:2-4

Perhaps the toughest job of a prophet was to foretell of future events without being able to witness them. Already in the first Chapter God foretold of Babylonia’s conquest, but there was an appointed time for it, and that time was not then (when he was speaking to Habakkuk). God told Habakkuk to write down the prophecy plainly. He is telling Habakkuk to be patient and to have faith that what He has said will come to pass.

It’s difficult at times to wait for God, especially when we know what’s waiting “on the other side.” Sometimes we want Him just to “cut to the chase” and get on with eternity already! But God would have us be patient. He wants us to trust Him, just as Habakkuk had to trust God.

We can trust Him with the Big Things (end times events, new heaven/new earth); we can also trust Him with the little things (everything in our lives).

The righteous will live by faith.

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Habakkuk 2:1

Have you ever had burning questions that you needed God to answer: who will I marry? What will my career be like 10 years from now? Should I join the military? Which college should I go to? Those answers are rarely cut and dried for us. Unfortunately, we don’t hear a voice from heaven saying “do this!” I’m not even sure we’d want that deep down since part of the fun of arriving at the destination is the journey it takes to get there. Sometimes it would be nice, but most of the time there’d be no satisfaction of knowing you’ve made the right decisions.

So, Habakkuk was waiting for God to respond. He’s not going anywhere for a while. I think we can learn a very simple lesson from this: God will speak to us if we’re willing to wait for his answer. Then, once we have his answer, we’ve got to act on it, regardless of what that means to us.

You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler. The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? Habakkuk 1:14-17

Habakkuk speaks truth when he states that men (and women) often have a "we want a leader" mentality. They (we) look for a leader far and wide, and when we find one who is promising, we're not discerning about him/her. Granted, we may not have a lot of information initially, but once the person is in power, the individual is difficult to replace.

Leaders who love power (and the benefits and privileges it brings) are all over the place. Rare is the leader, however, who is reluctant to take the leadership reins but passionate enough to make a difference.

Our leaders at every level (federal, state, local) need our prayers more than they know. The power they hold over others can be intoxicating and dangerous. The more power they have over others, the more they want, and the cycle continues.

Pray that your leaders will take their oaths of office seriously.

O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? Habakkuk 1:12-13

God's seen and heard it all. That's perhaps the understatement of the year. He was from the Beginning and He'll be in the End. Infinite. Everlasting. Unending. Without respect for days or people or institutions. They will come and go but God will remain.

He formed the mountains and the valleys and all creatures living in them. He holds the oceans in the palm of his hand. The stars are like grains of sand and he created them too. He knows exactly what microbes and microscopic germs are inside your body. Of course we know that He did all of that.

This snapshot in history called "now" will go away. Tomorrow will come and go. God remains. Nations will rise and fall. God remains. If we end up destroying the planet through war or disease, God will remain.

Every day we're alive, we have an opportunity to praise this God.

They [Babylonians] are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like a vulture swooping to devour; they all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. They deride kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps and capture them. Then they sweep past like the wind and go on—guilty men, whose own strength is their god." Habakkuk 1:6-11

Many will look at the character trait list above and see America, Russia, Iran, China, or a handful of other powerful nations. Those nations have one thing in common, they THINK they are all powerful. They think they could never be defeated in battle. Their arrogance is their weakness but they don't know it.

I write this in perhaps the most powerful (militarily and economically) country in the world. But I’m not foolish enough to believe that we will always be this way. Nations come; nations go. It really is that simple. Often the destruction of a nation comes from within (without any other nation firing a single shot).

Arrogance will bring down a nation fast. Wherever you are, pray for your nation. Pray for the leadership. Pray that they will humble themselves before Almighty God has to intervene and humiliate them.

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. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own. Habakkuk 1:5-6

This is God's response to Habakkuk's complaint. God was raising up a very specific group of people who were feared and hated among God's people. Think about that. It was almost as if God were saying, “Yes, Habakkuk, you see evil now but wait until the Babylonians come to town. You ain't seen nothing yet. AND I'm raising them up to do just that!”

The longer I'm a Christian, the more puzzled I become at some of the things God allows to happen. Of course there are the indescribable atrocities occurring in foreign lands (mass rape, genocide, children being used as sex slaves), but we don't have to go far to see what God allows. We too shake our heads and question the rightness of it all.

But this was God’s point to Habakkuk. Of course Habakkuk wasn't in control of events around him. God was. As the world seemingly spins out of control, God still is in control. He knows what He's doing. We need to be reminded of that often.

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received: 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? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore, the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. Habakkuk 1:1-4

How many times this year have you felt this way?? This opening passage could have easily been written last week. Habakkuk (and every generation since) has experienced the utter despair at the violence and injustice occurring all around. He seemed frustrated at his inability to do anything about the corruption and conflicts.

Normally a prophet received a message from God and delivered it to a people. With Habakkuk, the reverse is true; he is speaking on behalf of the people to God. Habakkuk is an honest seeker of the truth, perplexed by the evil and injustice around him. He knows God is still around but carries a "boy, wouldn't it be great if He actually did something about the evil" attitude.

God is stirring hearts all around you. He is stirring yours. He wants to continually draw you near to Himself. Forget about the evil and injustice and terrible things happening in the world today. What is He saying to you? Today. Right now.

Listen. What is He saying to you?

The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing. Psalm 112:10

Have you ever had a non-believer look at you in disbelief at something you did or couldn't do because of your beliefs? I've had that happen on a number of occasions. They simply cannot figure out what's making you tick at the moment.

When I lived in Mongolia, drinking three shots of vodka "to the bottom" was standard fare among any group of people. Early in our stay there we had decided that drinking in Mongolia would be disastrous for our Christian witness. It was a personal belief based on the out of control drinking we saw wherever we went. So, I was at a party and one man across the table had downed his three shots of vodka and reached across the table with the upside down shot glass, indicating it was my turn to do the same. I refused. He held it there. I still refused. Others around me said I was offending the host. To put the matter to rest, I addressed the host, “Sir, can I still be your friend even if I don't drink a drop of vodka?” He nodded. I held out my hand and said, “then please let me be your friend without the vodka.” I held it there as the man sitting in front of me held the shot glass in front of me. The host shook my hand and his head, then explained in Mongolian what I had told him.

You will possibly be misunderstood for what you believe and your belief in God. People won't “get” you. That’s okay. Continue to make clear and thought out stances. Continue to fear the Lord, much like the entire Psalm 112 exhorts us to do.

[Blessed is the man who fears the Lord]…He has scattered his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever. Psalm 112:9

Search the Bible and you’ll see that God clearly has a special place for the poor, the orphan, the widow, the foreigner, and the downtrodden. Entire laws were written to protect them from the ruthless and uncaring. And rightly so.

Without question, God has compassion on the poor. He had compassion 4000 years ago when He wrote the laws, and He has compassion now in the crazy world we live in. He knew about the poor then and He knows about them now. And verse nine still remains: [the man who fears the Lord] scatters his gifts to the poor.

Again, I’ll relate it to the times we live in. As the economic downtown continues, our tendency will be to hoard as we have fewer resources. It will then become more and more important for us to be generous in our giving, and in our giving to the poor. Hopefully God’s people will be able to lead the way in generosity. God will show us how we should then give.