Category: Bible (Page 37 of 356)

The prophet Habakkuk asked an age-old question, one every thoughtful person who believes in God struggles with at times:

How long, Lord, must I cry for help, but you do not listen?

The book of Job, considered the oldest in the Bible, wrestles with the same problem, a God of distance and disappearing. Remarkably, Habakkuk is not condemned for his questioning. The Lord answers his complaints, but with the news of impending disaster.

Even so, Habakkuk moved toward the Lord rather than away. As he waited for a Babylonian invasion he expressed both fear and faith:

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.

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The answer to Habakkuk’s question was not deliverance but devastation. Habakkuk lived roughly 600 years before Jesus. No news of a Savior reached his ears, yet he cultivated an amazingly defiant faith. I also ask how long, Lord? Like all who call without a response, it requires prayer, reflection and determination to hold on while I wait.

Habakkuk in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Spencer DeMera

It’s easy to envy those whose lives flourish even as they spurn the ways of God. A psalmist wrote, I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong…always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. In despair the writer added, Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.

Ostentatious displays of wealth and power blanket the airwaves. Whether one prefers a super-yacht cruising the Mediterranean, an expensive watch flashing from the wrist, or hundreds of thousands social media followers, exhibiting status and wealth remains a human pastime (personally, I’m partial to the yacht).

But the writer eventually turned into a quiet place and reality dawned. When I tried to understand all of this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. You place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.

Rejecting God, no matter the station of life or power status, brings devastating consequences. Decay waits at the end of the slide.

Still, it’s hard to remember in a world of noise and flash. An accurate view grows when I move away from the dazzle of wealth. Leaving social media behind, turning off the television and darkening my screens brings a bit of calm. Finding a quiet place, whether in the backyard or on a walk, stills my heart. Then I begin to understand.

The psalmist closes with the promise, My flesh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Envy of the wealthy and powerful is misplaced. Their gains (and ours as well) are temporary. Souls are forever, and yours and mine finds strength and hope only in the Lord.

Psalm 73 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Michael Worden

Spiritually speaking, it don’t get much better than this. At least that was Paul’s message to the cantankerous church members in Corinth. As they wrangled about their favorite preachers, and kept a toe (and other body parts) in the surrounding culture, Paul pushed them to go all in with their faith:

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor; now is the day of salvation.

Thanks to Paul’s preaching, grace appeared through the Lord Jesus Christ. At first the church flourished, but with Paul’s absence problems set in. Which is not unusual for any of us. Paul urged the flock not to procrastinate, but to pull the cockleburs of Corinthian society and give themselves to God.

Grace appears in cycles. A high school student might show interest, then leave for college and slide away from the Lord. When starting a family spiritual issues often regain importance. Finally, at the end of life many people develop a fresh interest in knowing God.

The Lord casts his line into our waters again and again throughout our lives. He’s a patient fisherman. But we cannot be sure of our length of time on this earth, or if we’ll get another chance to bite the hook. Paul’s forceful language continues to press for a decision, because now is the time of God’s favor.

2 Corinthians 6 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Majid Rangraz

I made my first visit to Rome a few years ago. Friends who traveled there told me I’d love Rome, particularly the history, the food and the people. I got on the plane full of faith. The city did not disappoint, especially the pasta dishes, which I enjoyed day after day after day.

Paul taught the followers of Jesus living in Corinth about faith in an unknown future. We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. You and I move toward an obscured eternity, hints of which exist all around us.

Like guidebooks speak of Rome, the Good Book testifies to the heavenly realms. The beauty of creation hints of this Creator who’s preparing a place more majestic and irresistible than we can pretend to comprehend. Paul goes on to write, We live by faith, not by sight. Our optimism is not misguided. If we take time to notice God’s work, our appetite for a visit to his upper lands will grow.

Rome is called the Eternal City due to it’s longevity and boundless beauty. But Rome is only a pleasing yet temporary stop on our way to the world beyond. As fabulous as any place on this earth may be, it’s only a shadow of things to come.

2 Corinthians 4 & 5 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by David Köhler