Devotional Fuel to Reboot Your Mind

Lamentations 3:22-24, “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”NLT

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” KJV

In God’s mercy, He shows compassion, undeserved kindness, and is related to grace. However, sin does have consequences. God’s wrath was revealed to the people during the prophet Jeremiah’s time, bringing their affliction to bear on them to bring them back to Him, as expressed in Lamentations. Without God, there is no hope and no comfort for the future. Jeremiah had warned the people for years that destruction would come, but it could have been avoided. God’s wrath was held back for just so long as Lamentations 2:22 states, “You have invited terrors from all around, as though you were calling them to a day of feasting. In the day of the LORD’s anger, no one has escaped or survived. The enemy has killed all the children whom I carried and raised.” He wept not for himself, but for the people who had rejected God due to their selfishness and sinfulness, which would bring them much suffering. His heart was broken for the same things that broke God’s heart (Lamentations 1-2).

Yet, Jeremiah had hope in the midst of affliction and all the sin he saw around him. It was due to the “faithful love of the LORD” and His faithfulness and mercies that He gives brand new every morning. The LORD gives us our own “manna”, new mercies each new day. You and I just received them when we woke up today. Therefore, we should not be consumed, as Psalms 131:1b states, “I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp,” because our hope is in the LORD (Ps. 131:3). Lamentations 3:32 promises, “Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.” Psalms 86:15 declares, “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” God’s mercy, holiness, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence never dry up and fill us with daily renewal in supplying our needs each day.

In the face of adversity and problems, we have to admit that they are beyond our control. These are times of reflection and remembering past blessings and how God was faithful through each one. There is reason for hope. Depend upon the God who gave you brand new mercies this morning. Be more aware of the grace that has filled your life. God is teaching each of us loving short-term and long-term lessons. What homework has He been giving you? Remember, “Who can command things to happen, without the Lord’s permission,” Lamentations 3:37. There is reason for bright hope even for today and tomorrow. God is training you for a fruitful future. “The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.” Lamentations 3:25 NLT. Wait for His guidance, compassion, and provision, as you seek His light to be shown to you as you read the Scriptures for wisdom, enlightenment, spiritual food for the day to meet your need(s). God is faithful. Choose not to be consumed with challenging circumstances in life, because you, because I, just received new mercies when the sun came up today, which happened at 6:55 AM PST. Look up!

Listen to Chris Tomlin – “Hallelujah, Hope Has Come”

Ephesians 1:10;19-21, “And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and earth. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else – not only in this world but also in the world to come.”

Paul used verse 10 as the core concept and vocabulary that will be repeated throughout the book of Ephesians. All things – “everything in heaven and earth” become one in the Messiah – Jesus Christ. That is God’s plan and could not be understood until Christ rose from the dead. All will someday answer to Jesus as a Savior or Jesus as a Judge.

The gospel, which was God’s plan, gives us help and confident hope. It gives us discernment as we receive the light of truth through reading, meditating on God’s Word, and praying. How do we get to know God personally? It requires spending time with Him. In verse 17 of Ephesians 1, Paul talks about praying for the believers to know God so they would have a better understanding and knowledge of God. So how can we do that – to have insight and know the incredible greatness of God’s character and His almighty power? I think it takes reviewing and remembering the attributes of God in order to shut out the fearful doubts that bombard our minds when situations arise. I have listed them here:

•  Wrath -Rom. 1:8 -God’s wrath is against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. Don’t ever doubt this.
• Mercy -God gives His undeserved kindness and goodness to those who don’t deserve it and to those who are suffering. Matt. 5:7 – “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
• Holiness – 1 Pet. 1:15-16, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
• Omnipotence – God’s power is inexhaustible and God is Sovereign and works all things according to His will and plan – Ephe. 1:11. Jesus is Lord and God is in control.
• Omniscience – God has complete knowledge of everything. God never faces any of the limitations we face and knows what we need to solve our problems. He knows what we are going to say before we say it and knows my-your thoughts right now – Ps. 139:1-6.
•  Omnipresence – God is always present everywhere and is always there for us. We can never hide our sinful actions from God because He is always with us. This should be a cure for any loneliness because God’s presence is more important than any other person we might want to be with – Ephe. 4:15-16.

Remember, God is right here with you wherever you go today. He has a plan as He would tell you, “For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it. But the LORD is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him” Habakkuk 1:5b; 2:20. God declared this to Habakkuk, and it is true for us as well today.

The gospel gives us hope in our glorious future of eternal life, freedom from sin, perfected bodies with no health issues, and Christ’s justice once and for all. Meanwhile, here on earth, think about God’s character and remember we have the mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead available to us, which will never have a power outage in our Christian life – ever!

Listen to Cece Winans – Come Jesus Come (Official Audio).

Philippians 4:8, “And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

Paul wrote Philippians from prison, and joy was his dominant theme throughout all of Philippians, despite his unjust circumstances and environment. He did not have an easy life. Paul lived most of his life in physical pain and mortal danger (2 Cor. 11:25-27) and suffered from some physical ailment that he called “a thorn in the flesh.” So how did he do it – maintain a continual state of joy?

Paul had just reminded the church in Philippi, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice! Philippians 4:4. He said that twice! Then he taught them not to worry about anything. “Instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7. Can you imagine not worrying about anything? Instead, Paul instructs us to have a consistent, relentless, passionate prayer life, which will be rewarded; by maintaining a continual prayer life and reading God’s Word, we will be given the right attitudes and experience a supernatural joy that the unsaved can see. Then thank Him for all He has given you, done for you, and kept you from. Be specific and have confidence in God’s concern for you and His abundant resources and power to meet your needs.

“No Christian can afford to waste mind power on thoughts that tear him down or that would tear others down if these thoughts were shared . . . The Christian who fills his heart and mind with God’s Word will have a built-in “radar” for detecting wrong thoughts. “Great peace have they which love thy law” (Ps. 119:165). Right thinking is the result of daily meditation on the Word of God.” Warren Wiersbe, Be Joyful Even When Things Go Wrong. You Can Have Joy. Page 135-136.

Paul taught by example, because he learned to be joyful despite his circumstances, to utilize the enabling power of Christ, and to be content, even when he felt like complaining: “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have.” Philippians 4:11. Paul wrote this at the end of his life, when he was in prison, so that tells us it didn’t happen overnight. It was a process for Paul – learning contentment. Paul remembered that Christ still reigns, He loves and knows us, confidence in the fact that God is sovereign, and therefore we can rejoice at all times, which gives us peace and strength. I so look up to Paul, who did not allow his outward circumstances to dictate his inner attitudes. I fail at that so often! Dear reader, may we both be content with whatever God chooses to use our lives for, in whatever comes our way. Nothing is by accident, as God is our shield (55 verses in the Old Testament use the word “shield”). “For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory.” Psalm 84:11.

May you be encouraged, and may the God of peace go with you today as you fix your thoughts on Christ and all He has done for you, and not feel anxious, but feel gratitude and contentment, having the internal peace in honoring Christ and who He is in your life, because God is supplying all of your needs one day at a time. It will take time, as it did for Paul, but notice your thoughts moving to right and correct thinking (Rom. 12:1-2) biblically, giving God all your mind, heart, and soul each and every morning. Then the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:9b) instead of worrying, having resentment, etc. This is a daily effort which should never stop moving to right thinking.

Listen to Mix – MercyMe – Sing

Romans 12:1-2, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” NLT

When we hear disturbing news or face troubling circumstances, what is often our first, natural reaction? Fear, frustrations, thinking we are all alone, or feelings of “I can’t take this anymore!” How frequently do we lay aside what we want due to our thoughts, motives, attitudes, and desires, which are the effects of our behavior. Then pause, and examine our own hearts in the heat of the circumstance? Paul teaches in Galatians 5:19-21a , “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy.” These are called “bad roots producing bad fruit.” In contrast, biblically, we should want and believe and therefore respond in our behavior as  Paul teaches, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23. These emotions and actions honor God, ready to transform us into a new person by changing the way we think and by helping us hear God’s voice through His Word.

Yes, many things are out of our control, much like the weather. We may start to feel angry and alone, working harder to control our fear and the circumstances, as I can think of a few in my own life right now. So how can we renew our minds, not copying the behavior of our culture, but worship the Lord by living for eternity, instead of exploding? Romans 8:5 admonishes, “Those who are dominated by a sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.”  Our sinful thinking of our behavior, such as impatience, harshness, and anger, is not pleasing the Holy Spirit.

So to get off the merry-go-round in our various turmoils, which we all have, we need to follow Romans 12:1-2 and have God change our thinking, which includes: 1)Take every thought captive immediately. 2)Analyze the thought. What lie(s) are we believing? 3) Replace the lie with the truth from the promises of God in Scripture. God is Sovereign. Remember Ps. 103:19, “The LORD has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.” Everything means EVERYTHING. 4)Trust the truth of God’s Word. “Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and just.” Revelation 19:1-2a. God is in control over time and events, so His plans will prevail as Isaiah 46:10 states, “Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass.” Last but not least, we have Romans 8:28 to reassure us, even under challenging circumstances: “We know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.”

Follow Romans 12:1-2, and watch how God will transform you, change your thinking to be in obedience to Him, renewing, reeducating, and redirecting our minds, hearts, and souls to be truly transformed by His grace. His will is perfect – just for you! It all starts in the heart, which is the center of our emotions, longings, desires, thoughts, beliefs, intentions, and determines our actions. Note how God is changing your way of thinking by focusing on Romans 12:1-2 – remolding your mind from within, yielding to the work of holiness in one’s life, confident of Christ’s return, and God’s continued faithfulness. “Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.” Ephesians 3:17b.

So, the real question to ask oneself now is, “What is true here? What does God’s Word say?”

Romans 8:28-29, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Trials come in many shapes and sizes, with varying degrees of suffering that we go through. They often don’t make any sense to our human mind. If we do not guard our hearts and thoughts, while going through the trial, we can become very pessimistic in the face of our circumstances. Feelings of resentment can take root and produces bad fruit in our behavior. It all centers around what is in our heart, as Rom. 8:26, 27 declares, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.” Then, verses 28 & 29 follow, quoted so often, but what should we do when life doesn’t make sense?

God reveals His sovereignty in the book of Job, and in the end, God vindicated and blessed Job’s faith and trust in God. As Habakkuk 2:4b, declares, “the righteous shall live by faith.” Read the end chapters of Job. God didn’t answer Job’s questions. Instead, God asks Job a series of questions, such as, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.” Job 38:4. God called for Job to understand His divine mind and character, which He calls us to do as well, submitting to His love for us and rest – abide – remain, in Him (John 15:4).

We all struggle as 1 Corinthians 10:13a reassures us, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand . . . ” God has not promised that all that happens to us in life will be pleasant. It was not pleasant when I had excruciating sciatica and arthritis pain, hindering me from being able to easily walk and drive for several months. I can think of numerous other examples in my husband’s and my life that were hard, but God, in His sovereignty, was our shield, our rock and fortress (Ps. 62:5-6), turned things around eventually for His glory and our ultimate good, and continues in doing so, until we stand in His presence.

Do I get it, looking at my own problems as they occur and don’t make any sense, at least to me? I would say I seldom see the value or reason in my problems. Yet (I) we have the promise, “And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and earth.” Ephesians 1:10, and “makes everything work out according to His plan (Ephe. 1:11b), no matter what evil Satan may bring (Rom. 8:28-39). Nothing escapes God’s will which is supreme and nothing escapes His control (Ps. 135:6). We are locked into time. God is not. Live by faith. Abide in Him. Follow His ways. Every trial will have an ending by God’s grace.

Listen to MercyMe – Make It Well (Official Lyric Video).

Isaiah 40:31, “But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

Don’t we all have too many distractions and difficulties? We have a tidy schedule to keep and see through, and then something comes up that squeezes us like an exploding bottle of ketchup that has erupted all over our lovely, neat, self-made plans and we are exasperated. That is when the strength of our character comes out in how we react under pressure. Ouch. If I would remember and think more about the sovereignty of God in the situation, stop and turn my anxiousness into a prayer, I would be reacting differently. How about you?

When life’s responsibilities cause us to be worn out and tired, we are told in Isaiah 40:30 that even the young become weak and tired, and “will fall in exhaustion.” Yet God “never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.” Is. 40:28b. Let God meet you where you are at in life. God says, “I love you. I got you!” as Jeremiah 31:3 declares, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Write down in your journal all the ways God has shown His faithfulness to you recently. Then “Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 136:26.

When facing the next dilemma in life, pause, quiet yourself (Ps. 131), ask God to increase your faith and surrender the trying circumstance to Him. Trust Him to give you new heights of spiritual and physical strength to carry on soaring above it, as Isa. 40:31 promises. Eagles are renowned for their incredible strength and courage in turbulent weather soaring above the storm clouds to safety. Their powerful wings enable them to soar at greater heights than most other birds. They have exceptional eyesight and can live up to 70 years. They possess immense mental strength but undergo a painful transformation in maintaining it. The eagle’s beak, for example, starts by crushing its own beak against a rock (on a mountain top); although it is painful, the old beak must fall out to make a new one appear. Once the new beak emerges as strong and functional, it becomes a crucial part of the eagle’s renewal. Next, after acquiring a new beak, it rips out its old claws and feathers. This allows the growth of new claws and replaces existing ones. These new feathers are more efficient and lighter, enabling swift flight. It is reported that the eagle endures immense pain during this process, which lasts 150 days. Patience and endurance are key, but then the eagle is rejuvenated after completing the transformation, and it has improved its flying with increased agility and speed. The prophet Isaiah uses “wings like eagles” characteristics, to those who remain faithful to God and look forward to their heavenly reward. It requires patience and trust in the timing of God’s sovereign will and desire sanctifying and perfecting us to be more Christ-like.

Hold on tightly. When you have blown it, confess it and remember you are a sinner in need of God’s grace, love, and compassion. Then you will not be offended, angry, hurt, vengeful, or selfish. Apologize where needed. Show the gospel to others in your renewed trust in the LORD who has given you knew strength as you soar high on wings like eagles. You will run and not grow weary. You will walk and not faint. Isa. 40:31. Your spiritual transformation may seem painful. Yet have joy. You are developing endurance and have the opportunity to grow, being sanctified in Christ, with more strength to soar above everything else through another transformational opportunity to wait upon Him and walk the talk, utilizing the Holy Spirit’s power within you, by His grace.

Listen to Play this Up Loud, it’s Your Battle Song.

Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” NLT

If you could ask for anything right now, what would it be? What would fulfill your dream? Would it be something related to wealth, your status, or maybe having more power, appreciation and, or recognition? We all have wanted some of those things at times. However, in the Bible, in 1 Kings 3:5, God asks King Solomon, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” Solomon could have asked for anything, but he humbly asked, “Give me an understanding heart, so that I may govern my people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:9. Solomon was more concerned about having wisdom to make right decisions in leading well, from having “an understanding heart,” given to him by God, to do his job well, rather than material and financial riches. He didn’t ask God to do it for him, but through him.

In the New Testament, we have James 1:5-6, which instructs us, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.”  How often don’t I wish I could do a “redo” of something I have said? How God’s Word speaks to us in practical wisdom, going beyond human common sense and our own selfishness. A fitting simple prayer would be, “God show me the way. I want to be more Christ-like in my thoughts and words. Help me to do better.” Oh, how I need that!

Dear friend, God has not given you a task that you cannot do. The point is, you cannot do it alone, but Paul declares, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20. “Consider this for a moment. God hasn’t issued us a series of grand and lofty directives and then sat back to see if we would obey them. No, he understands that our sin has rendered us powerless, and that we will not know what we need to know and cannot do what we need to do apart from him. So, he has unzipped us and gotten inside us by his Spirit. His inconceivable power is within us! And it is not only within, it is at work! Paul says that we have been given power that can be compared only to the power by which Christ was raised from the dead.”[1]

Whatever is at the top of your prayer request list, and each one of them on your list, for that matter, have faith in God alone that He will supply your need(s) “infinitely more than what you might ask or think.” There is hope. Despite the sin all around us and against us, and within us, with God’s help, He can transform us by changing us into a new person by changing the way we think (Romans 12:1-2). God is sovereign and rules over everything and “from his glorious unlimited resources will empower you with inner strength through his spirit” (Ephe. 3:16). Live by faith. Trust in Him. The Holy Spirit is at work within you. Remember that word picture of being “unzipped.” He is at work within you right now!

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[1] War Of Words. Getting To The Heart Of Your Communication Struggles. Paul David Tripp. Page 44.

Listen to Chasing (feat. Jordin Sparks)

Habakkuk 3:17-19, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.”

When was the last time you were in a situation where you didn’t know what to do or how to do it? Maybe you felt overwhelmed and needed an answer as you prayed and prayed asking God for His direction and help because nothing made sense. Think about Habakkuk who told God he needed Him to act now, please, and had originally asked God “how long must I call for help?” He expressed two complaints to God, which God answered each time. Then, in chapter 3, Habakkuk sang a prayer of praise to God for answering his questions, as God had spoken words of hope to him, and discovered the joy of living by faithfulness to God.

Are you seeing a change in direction in your life? Habakkuk experienced that firsthand and accepted God’s help and mercy. Trusting in God, even though he had struggles and doubts, God revealed Himself to Habakkuk, and gave him strength. Habakkuk learned that living by faith is required and refocused his primary goal on being faithful to God. Trusting God, no matter what, leads to quiet hope and peace rather than bitterness, which is eloquently expressed in verses 17-19.

In verse 19, “surfooted as a deer” was a picture of a deer moving over rugged terrain and slopes without stumbling. Deer’s are known for their quick reactions and powerful leaps. So, by applying your faith in God, He will provide and enable you, as a Christian, to overcome obstacles and rise above challenges that would otherwise seem impossible. “Deerlike feet represent the capacity to rise above adversity and gain clarity through a higher viewpoint.” Biblehub/com/q/what_does_feet_like_a-deer_mean.htm.

How do you need to apply living by faithfulness today? It doesn’t mean passively sitting around waiting for a miracle. Isaiah 40:31 states, “But those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Our responsibility is to live by faith, pure and simple. Trust in God, who will reveal His plan daily, even if it might be to wait for it.

Habakkuk learned resilience and faith despite challenges all around him with injustice and political and cultural distress. As an example, he saw and lived through crop failures, the deaths of animals, and starvation and loss, yet he still praised the LORD. When nothing makes sense, and life seems uncertain, three things need to be remembered, which give one hope: (1) The righteous live by faith. (2) God will deal with evil. (3) Worship God’s name. Yes, even though things look bad, God will give you strength and will take you to new heights you have not yet understood. Our understanding is limited so ask God to reveal Himself to you as you read His Word. God is sovereign, and His ways are not our ways. We cannot see the total picture of what God is doing, as He told Habakkuk in chapter 1, verse 5: “For I am doing something in your own day, something you would not believe even if someone told you about it.”

In the end, we need to affirm and trust in God’s almighty power, which gives us hope and endurance, developing and transforming our character, in our ever-changing and confusing world. Even though we have struggles and doubts, we too should sing, “Yet will I rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” Habakkuk 3:18-19.

Listen to Anne Wilson, Chris Tomlin – The Cross (Official Lyric Video).

https://youtu.be/erxFK2KX3Og?si=lOenIELpl3BLu2uu

Habakkuk 2:4, “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”

Do you often wonder why God seems to do nothing about all the prideful, immoral, lawless, and unethical occurrences happening in our country and in the world? Violence and corruption seem to be an everyday occurrence and correlate to the book of Habakkuk. We find that the root cause is confidence in their self – foolish pride as Psalm 10:4 states, “The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead.” They are called “fools” as Psalm 14:1 declares, “Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!”

Habakkuk was a prophet and asked God for the second time, why are people not punished for their sins? Chapter two was the LORD’s second reply to Habakkuk’s second complaint regarding the overwhelming evils taking place in Judah. Habakkuk was patiently waiting and watching for God’s response to his questions that challenged his faith and said he needed an answer. Habakkuk had determination in receiving God’s answer, as the Lord’s promise says, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:13. Secondly, Habakkuk went to a quiet place, “my watchtower . . . There I will wait to see what the LORD says and how he will answer my complaint.” Hab. 2:1.

God tells Habakkuk in verse 3, “If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” Then, in verse 4, God tells Habakkuk He knows how to deal with the proud, which is a universal sin. Pride looks to self. “But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God,” is in great contrast.

Every word in Habakkuk 2:4 is essential, as God is saying to Habakkuk, you are going to live by faith, and the Lord quotes this three times in the New Testament.

• Romans 1:17, “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
• Hebrews 10:37-38, “For just in a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”
• Galatians 3:11, “So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Quiet your mind right now. Quiet your thoughts, fears, and doubts from start to finish. What are you in need of God speaking to you today about? Keep a journal handy with pen and paper so you can write it down what you are learning from reading God’s Word about living by faith so you can better remember it. Have a posture of expectancy, much like if you were sitting on the edge of your chair waiting for an answer to your need as you read the Bible. From start to finish God will show you through His Word, showing the sufficiency of Scripture for answering anyone’s needs, and how God shows the world’s needs of repentance and salvation in accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary says it so succinctly, regarding verse 20, “But the LORD is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.” “I [God] know what I’m doing. I’m on the throne.” This is a nice way of saying, “Be quiet, Habakkuk. Calm down.” It’s a loving way of saying, “Habakkuk, I don’t have to tell you anything because the just shall live by faith. But, since you’re asking, I’ll tell you some principles about life. It’s all going to backfire on them. I don’t have to do anything. The results of their own lust and their own sin will inevitably come down upon their own heads.” Yes, God is in control from start to finish, so take charge, live by your faith; God is sovereign, trusting Him gives hope.

Judgment day is coming. God will deal with evil people. Everyone’s primary goal is to be faithful and discern what God is saying as you read His Word, applying it to your life.

Listen to Phil Wickham – Fear Has No Power (Official Lyric Video).

Habakkuk 1:5, “The LORD replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.”

Habakkuk is a book in the Old Testament that has a theme of struggle and doubt, of God’s sovereign character, and our hope. During this time, there was persecution, fear, oppression, immorality, and lawlessness. Justice had seemed to disappear from the land. Habakkuk, who was a prophet, couldn’t understand why God seemed to do nothing about all the evil and moral wrongdoings. There had been a revival a few years previously under King Josiah. However, it did not affect the people on a deep level. “Habakkuk knew what it was like to live during a time of revival, and then to see God’s people and the nation slip into lethargy and sin.” Blue Letter Bible, David Guzik Commentary. Habakkuk had valid questions for God, asking why He didn’t do anything about it and was delaying judgment (Hab. 1:2-4). I see we have the same questions today in our time.

So why do you think God allows us to see immoral or grossly unfair behavior in others, as Habakkuk saw? One reason is for what we are warned in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” But by the grace of God go I, saying comes to mind. The other reason is for God to use us to share the gospel and seek others’ salvation. We need to persevere in our faith and make it a way of life.

God answers Habakkuk in verse 5. The purpose is to show how God is in complete control of the world, even when it seems that evil is triumphing; therefore, there is hope. God’s thoughts are higher than ours, and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). God told Habakkuk that He would be astounded at what God would do. Don’t we wonder if God has forgotten us when we feel cornered and about to suffocate in a challenging situation, especially if it is unjust and out of our control? That is the point. God is sovereign, so He is in control, and He is just. That should give us hope.

God told the people in Jerusalem that they would be astonished and see some unbelievable events transpire. “God told Habakkuk that He was not indifferent to Judah’s sin; but rather than revival, he was sending the “dreaded and fearsome” judgment (v. 7). John MacArthur. God allowed their sinful desire to conquer Judah. If God had not allowed it, they would not have been able to conquer Judah and exile God’s people out of the Promised Land. This was the work God did, which He told Habakkuk, “For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you.” Then Egypt, which had been a world power, was crushed almost overnight.

Dear friend, wait on God’s timing. Don’t accuse God of being indifferent because He is not. Christ calls us to endure in our faith. God controls human history, forgives sin, and gives lasting peace to all that have accepted Christ as their Savior. Be ready for Christ’s return. “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:12-13. This is our answer and gives us hope despite any circumstances. Be ready to be amazed! God is doing something you wouldn’t believe even in our day!

Listen to True Song – He Is Jesus (Official Lyric Video)