Category: Bible (Page 21 of 395)

We’ve all heard the motivational phrase, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. But I prefer this iteration—when the going gets tough, the tough go for a snack. Nothing better than ice cream to sooth a troubled mind.

Habakkuk faced calamity—an invasion of his homeland—on an empty stomach. But rather than trust in his own fortitude, he turned to the One who might bring hope:

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.

No matter how rough, (an invasion involving famine, pillage, murder, rape and enforced slavery), Habakkuk maintained his focus and devotion to the Lord. Notice that he made a conscious decision to follow Jehovah despite the hardship—I will rejoice in the Lord.

Habakkuk may be mocked and hungry and desperate and shackled, but he won’t let go. His was not a blind faith, but a tenacious one, united to and dependent upon the Lord. From this deep well Habakkuk drew far more than a meager, shuffling gait. He found joy in the Lord despite his circumstances and leapt like a deer on the mountains.

When the going got tough, the tough turn to the Lord. Despite a set of horrendous affairs, Habakkuk never lost his grip. May you and I maintain ours as well.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Photo by Anurag Jain

I flew into San Salvador, El Salvador a week ago. We started our descent from a bright blue sky, but quickly settled into a dense layer of clouds. As I peered out the window I saw only gray. I wondered when the runway might appear, and hoped the pilot’s instrumentation worked properly as San Salvador lies surrounded by volcanic peaks. No worries, we hit the tarmac just as the mist parted.

We hustled to our ride in the midst of a nice rain, normal for this time of year in El Salvador. A few days later, when reading through the book of Nahum, I happened on a verse where the prophet described the Lord using meteorological language:

His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Nahum spoke God’s warning in a prophecy regarding Nineveh, laying out the Lord’s anger against this enemy of Israel. Caught in a tornado, Nineveh stood condemned. But I take this metaphor a bit more literally. When I consider the all-powerful nature of God, then the clouds really are nothing more than the dust off his feet.

Of course, to an omnipotent God who holds the universe in his hands clouds become less than the dust of his feet, more like an idea of his passing. Regardless, my descent through a rich, thick blanket of rainclouds brought to mind the magnificence of our amazing God. He holds us in his hands and sustains us in our living, even as we pass through the dust of his feet.

Nahum 1:3

Photo by Ben Everett

I rush through yellow lights because I’m in a hurry. I arrive at the airport with extra time to get through security. I avoid restaurants with long wait times. I don’t like waiting, and neither did the Apostle Paul.

Writing to a group of people sitting on the fence, he urged Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. When it comes to our eternal destiny, there’s no time like the present. No better day to turn to God. No more advantageous moment to seek the Lord.

Zero obstacles stand in the way from God. Our issues of pride, areas of sin, and fear of losing control create our own roadblocks. But the Lord waits patiently as we skirt those barriers.

Today, this very moment, turns out to be the perfect opportunity to say Yes! and embrace the ways of the Lord. Whether you do so for the first time, or return after a period of wandering, today’s the day. The Lord receives each of us with open arms. Your invitation has arrived, the door is open, and the table is set.

Don’t wait—make this day your day of liberation.

2 Corinthians 6:2

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR

The last couple of weeks my blog experienced a number of phishing attacks. I pay for security features which block all these nefarious assaults, but a setting is turned on that sends me an email every time this happens and I’m now getting over a hundred emails a day. I know there must be a way to deal with the issue, but I need to take the time to go online and figure it out. It’s a hassle I’d rather do without.

Paul wrote about challenges and hassles in life, his much more painful and difficult than my technical problems. Addressing the church in Corinth, Paul recounted the painful trials he faced, the persecutions for preaching about Jesus, and the blows received upon his body. He gloried in the fact that the death working in him brought life to the people of Corinth. He added this piece of wisdom:

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Although consuming much of my time and attention, the frustrations of this world eventually pass. Issues grabbing my attention and energy prove transient. Money, prestige, and power all take wings.

However, the eternal exists all around us. I close my eyes and gain a sense of this hidden world. Unseen things, like God in heaven, the hopes and fears of those around me, spiritual battles, and even my own soul live in an eternal sphere. On the other hand, most of what I deal with daily takes place in an impermanent state.

I’ll get my blog issue figured out and skip along happily until the next system crash. These frustrations fail to smudge the eternal goodness of God. Paul reminds me of where to place my hope, and may the Lord keep me thinking on the eternal rather than the transient.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Photo by Dániel Barczikay