Burunche’s Blog

Habakkuk 3: 3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

2 Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

3 God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.
5 Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed—but he marches on forever.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

8 Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory?
9 You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; 10 the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.

11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations.
13 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.
14 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.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.

16 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.

If anybody has the right to be frustrated, it’s Habakkuk! As a servant of the Most High God, Habakkuk has studied God’s interventions throughout the history of Israel. Habakkuk knows that at any moment God might intervene and deliver His people from the Assyrians and the Babylonians, and yet God is not moving. When Habakkuk questions the Lord, the only answer he receives is that the vision will be fulfilled but the time of fulfillment has yet to arrive. Habakkuk’s problem is not a lack of faith, but an unwillingness to accept the idea that the Israelites have brought all these problems on themselves.

Deuteronomy 11:13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.

16 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17 Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. 

Beginning with Moses, God has repeatedly warned His people of the disastrous consequences of idolatry; however, they have persisted in refusing to worship Him and turning to idols instead. Actions have consequences, and generations of idolatry have brought curses on the Israelites. While Habakkuk can prayerfully intercede, he is powerless to change the inexorable progress of events. Habakkuk has done nothing wrong; however, he is fated to watch the Israelites suffer the results of their unfaithfulness. If Habakkuk were to remain bitter against God, it might be understandable; however, Habakkuk shines through the centuries as an example of faith precisely because he refuses to remain bitter, honoring God instead.

17 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, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Not only does Habakkuk surmount the temptation to bitterness, but these last verses remain as a graphic testimony of faith. Habakkuk even designates these verses to be used in worship at the temple.

These last few verses are doubly precious to me because of Tom Elkins, a Christian Ob/Gyn specialist with a great deal of missions experience. Tom once quoted these verses to me, telling me of the missionary surgeon in Nigeria who shared them with him during a time of great stress at the mission hospital where they were both serving. There are many times when we face problems that threaten to overwhelm us. Finances fall apart, jobs disappear, health fails, and we find ourselves in deep physical and emotional poverty. At such times, we can take heart from Habakkuk’s testimony. Caught in the throes of disease, drought, crop failure, and famine, Habakkuk remains steadfast in his faith. “…yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”

When we read these words about “deer feet in high places,” we might think of a cute little deer or mountain goat standing on a nice flat mountaintop. But nothing can be farther from the truth than that idea! Look at the picture below. These animals barely have enough space on the rock for the width of their hooves. One mis-step and they will careen into the depths and die.

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where there seems no way out. Physical problems, financial problems, political problems hem us in on all sides. We are like those mountain animals, struggling to find tiny footholds in the midst of our problems. Those places are exactly the ones Habakkuk is describing in these verses. Remember, truthful prophets generally aren’t popular, and we don’t know how many threats Habakkuk received or the perils he is facing as he writes these words. If Habakkuk compares his situation to that of a mountain goat, then indeed he is hemmed in with only a tiny space to stand and maneuver. But God has given Habakkuk that space, and God will do the same for us as well.When we wait on God and trust in His mercy, we too can rejoice in the Lord, being joyful in God our Savior. And we can trust that God will be our strength and will make our feet like the feet of a deer, treading on the heights.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to wait for Your mercy and Your grace, knowing that You will give us strength, courage, and the ability to maintain our footing even in slippery high places. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Habakkuk 2:1 I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint.

The Lord’s Second Reply

2 Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.
3 This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.

4 “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.
5 Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples.

Woe to the Chaldeans

6 Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, speaking with mockery and derision: ‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’ 7 Will not your creditors suddenly arise and those who disturb you awaken? Then you will become their prey. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, the remnant of the people will plunder you—because of your bloodshed against man and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.\

This is fascinating! First, God assures Habakkuk that he has heard God correctly; however, these visions aren’t going to be fulfilled instantly. This concept is so important that God orders Habakkuk to write these words on clay tablets so runners can carry the correct message throughout the Middle East. God wants to make sure that the prophecies don’t get distorted or twisted in the process. Next, God through Habakkuk is speaking of ravaging and conquering armies as if they become debtors to every nation they destroy and pillage. “Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest.”  This warning echoes down the ages, remaining for individuals, companies, and nations. These days, companies are taking over prime farm land in America, diverting it for data centers and solar farms. But what will be left? No amount of money can compensate for the loss of that land and the degradation of the environment.

9 Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster! 10 You have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting your life. 11 For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork. 12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity!

Actions have consequences and land, streets, and buildings remember evil. We have lived in Memphis, Tennessee, Charleston, South Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana, cities in the American South that were once centers for the slave trade. There are parts of each of those cities that feel incredibly evil and cold, like the cold of the grave. The spiritual atmosphere can change from one street to the next. Evil doesn’t die but must be driven out by spiritual warfare. Spiritually sensitive people coming to our church just outside Memphis used to claim that they would see a big dark cloud over the Memphis area when they were approaching it.

13 Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain? 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

15 Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! 16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory.

You too must drink and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory.

17 For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of animals will terrify you, because of your bloodshed against men and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.

Violence begets more violence, and Assyria and Babylon will eventually pay for ravaging both Israelite kingdoms. The shedding of innocent blood brings curses on those who shed it.

18 What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. 19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.” 20 But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.

The One True Living God will not tolerate rivals. Idols cannot accomplish anything, and the demons encouraging idol worship will eventually destroy those who worship them.

The key lesson for us is found in verse 3. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. We want instant results, but God works on His schedule, not ours. Wait for the Lord, and while you are waiting, remember the assurance given in verse 14. For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. God is still in His holy temple. Let us all be silent before Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to wait patiently for You, knowing that You will bring perfect solutions. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

Habakkuk 1:12 O Lord my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal—surely you do not plan to wipe us out?
O Lord, our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins.
13 But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they?

14 Are we only fish to be caught and killed? Are we only sea creatures that have no leader?
15 Must we be strung up on their hooks and caught in their nets while they rejoice and celebrate?
16 Then they will worship their nets and burn incense in front of them. “These nets are the gods who have made us rich!” they will claim.
17 Will you let them get away with this forever? Will they succeed forever in their heartless conquests?

Habakkuk is furious! The Babylonians are coming, and Habakkuk knows that once the Babylonians have conquered, they will praise their false gods for giving them victory. Why doesn’t God do something? Is Yaweh really the One True Living God or not? Is He really all-powerful and all-knowing, and if He is, why isn’t He intervening? Surely, the Israelites can’t be as evil as the Babylonians, can they? Will the Babylonians get away with this forever? Doesn’t God understand how evil the Babylonians are? Why isn’t God protecting His people? Why isn’t God confronting the Babylonians directly?

Viewing the situation from this end of history, we know that the Babylonian kingdom will eventually fall to conquest by the Medes and Persians. That kingdom will also eventually fall. God actually is protecting His people, and many of the most faithful will be swept away into Babylon, there to prosper as God promises in Jeremiah 29:4-14.

4 This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7 Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

8 For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them. 9 For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.” 

10 For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

What Habakkuk and the rest of the Israelites fail to realize is that God has a divine plan of salvation for the Babylonians just as much as He does for Israel. God’s ways are always higher than ours, and God is always working to accomplish far more than anything we can possibly imagine. If the exiles in Babylon will obey God’s commands as transmitted by Jeremiah, they will immediately begin interceding for the Babylonians and for every town in the Babylonian Empire. God longs to bring salvation to the Babylonians just as much as He does to the Israelites. God has never chosen Israel to the exclusion of other nations but to be light to these other people.

 Several years ago, there was an excellent book written about evangelism entitled Out of the Salt Shaker and into the World. The title stems from Jesus’ teaching that believers should be salt, flavoring the society of all around them and maintaining that saltiness, that spiritual truth. While faithful believers are cowering in Jerusalem or complaining vociferously as they are led off to Babylon, God is already preparing places for these people to live and work in neighborhoods where they will be able to share their knowledge of the One True Living God. When salt remains in any container, it is worthless; it is only when salt is added to food or used in some other form that it assumes its true worth. When salt draws moisture, it forms lumps and can rapidly lose its flavor. When we as believers insist on huddling in churches and sticking together, we are just like that lumpy salt-we have lost our flavor.

It is a mistake to assume that those exiled from Jerusalem were chosen at random. While the Babylonians might have thought they were in charge of selecting those to be exiled, God was moving the Babylonians, using them to save those who had been calling on His Name and who had been appalled at the evil practices of their fellow citizens.

One Christian writer has observed that there are no coincidences in God’s economy but only God-incidences; God is in control at all times. Had the Jews not been carried off to Babylon, we would not have had the miracle stories of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, or of Daniel with lions pacing around like tame house cats, purring at him.

Before Jesus was crucified and ascended into heaven, he warned the disciples that there would be many wars and rumors of wars, natural disasters, and plagues and famines before the end of time. Surveying current news reports, we might wonder how much worse things can get, and we might join our voices with Habakkuk to complain that God is taking too long to intervene. But God is still on the throne, and He is the One who knows the end from the beginning. Let us continue to praise Him, even when things appear bleak and our desires remain frustrated, for God will bring perfect solutions even if we don’t agree with them.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to continue to trust You even when we are tired of waiting for deliverance. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen

Habakkuk 1:1 This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision. Habakkuk’s Complaint

2 How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save.
3 Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight.
4 The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.

The Lord’s Reply

5 The Lord replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.
6 I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands.
7 They are notorious for their cruelty and do whatever they like.
8 Their horses are swifter than cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their charioteers charge from far away. Like eagles, they swoop down to devour their prey.

9 “On they come, all bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind, sweeping captives ahead of them like sand.
10 They scoff at kings and princes and scorn all their fortresses. They simply pile ramps of earth
    against their walls and capture them!
11 They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god.”

Poor Habakkuk! As a righteous man surrounded by wicked people, Habakkuk would like deliverance or at least revival so he isn’t plagued by evil doers. Many times, religious leaders are fond of calling themselves “Prophet So-and-So” without the slightest idea what being a prophet actually entails. God doesn’t send prophets when everything is going well but only when things are deteriorating. Part of the energy behind a prophet’s warnings stems from the prophet’s own disgust at the evil he/she surrounding him/her. And being a prophet is anything but an avenue to success and acclaim, for the second you warn others, those same people will turn to attack you and silence you.

2 How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save.
3 Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight.

It’s not that Habakkuk has not been praying but that he feels his prayers have been going nowhere. Why hasn’t God answered in the manner Habakkuk desires? The problem is that Habakkuk is blaming the wrong Guy. God would love to swoop in and change everything; however, Habakkuk’s people have freely chosen to act wickedly, and God will not override anyone’s free will. And each time God has sent prophets to warn these people, those prophets have been killed, stoned, shut up in prison, beaten, or exiled. When Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem, he weeps for the terrible things its inhabitants have done to God’s prophets for centuries as well as for the dreadful persecution the Romans will later mete out.

5 The Lord replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.
6 I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands.

At this point, Habakkuk must be waving his hands at the Lord, exclaiming, “No! No! No!” Habakkuk wants his people to repent, not to be annihilated by the Babylonians. But God has no choice. From Moses onwards, God has warned the Israelites of the consequences of idolatry, and yet the Israelites have persisted in chasing after every pagan deity they can find. Actions have consequences, and the Babylonian conquest will form part of those consequences.

Looking at these verses, we might wonder if Habakkuk’s prayers have been worthless, but we would be wrong. God loves Habakkuk and has listened to every word he has said. When the Babylonians invade Judah, many people will be carried back to Babylon, where they will prosper. Habakkuk’s prayers will help deliver the righteous from slaughter.

Perhaps you feel akin to Habakkuk. You find yourself in an onerous situation with no exit. Your only choice is to hang on. Welcome to life as a believer, for we all must endure similar times. But remember that while you are tying a knot in the end of that rope and hanging on, God is holding the other end of the rope. None of your prayers or cries for help are wasted.

One problem we have is that we long for dramatic and immediate deliverances while God wants to use our suffering to perfect us. Romans 5:3-5 tells us, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Are you at the end of your rope? Hold on and remember that God is not through with you. Keep breathing, keep working, and keep hoping. For your hope will not put you to shame and God will pour His love into your heart through the Holy Spirit who has been given to you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You for Your perfect solutions, even when we seem to be facing disaster. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 23:1 Then Job spoke again: 2 “My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud.
3 If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court.
4 I would lay out my case and present my arguments.
5 Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me.
6 Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing.
7 Honest people can reason with him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge.
8 I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him.
9 I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.

10 “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.
11 For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food.
13 But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind? Whatever he wants to do, he does.
14 So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny.
15 No wonder I am so terrified in his presence. When I think of it, terror grips me.
16 God has made me sick at heart; the Almighty has terrified me.
17 Darkness is all around me; thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.

Many times, people speak of waiting on the Lord as if it is something delightful and airy and easily done. But what happens when we have been patient and nothing seems to be happening? We pray, and yet we feel as if our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. Writers in an earlier era have spoken about feeling as if the heavens were brass, as if there were an impenetrable barrier between us and God. Saint John of the Cross wrote about the “dark night of the soul.” Darkness is all around us; thick impenetrable darkness dampens our souls, blighting our enthusiasm.

If we ignore the reality of God remaining silent, we deny ourselves the justification of our struggles to remain patient in the face of adversity. When archers are preparing to shoot arrows, they bend their bows, forcing the bowstrings to stretch. Were we able to interview the bowstrings, they would certainly complain. “I have no idea why the archer can’t allow me to remain slack or at least a little bit relaxed. Why must I be stressed nearly to my breaking point where I might snap?” But archers know more than the bowstrings do and they continue to pull the strings out to the exact point at which the arrows will have maximum impact. Only then will the archers release the tension on the strings, causing the arrow to fly to its target.

Very few if any of us know how much tension we can take when God is stretching us. I remember one year in which I was the only doctor, seeing patients and operating several times a week. There were staff upheavals that forced an outside team to come; their conclusion was that the staff complaints were groundless. While all this was going on, my father’s health deteriorated to the point that he had to enter assisted living. And then my beloved stepmother underwent a life-threatening emergency heart operation that left her with problems of her own. My husband’s mother died when he was seventeen, and his step mother died when he was forty-three. My mother died when I was thirty-two. Now my stepmother was the only mother we had left between the two of us, and we were terrified that we might lose her as well.

Meanwhile, my husband’s beloved sister-in-law was fighting a rare and vicious form of cancer complicated by sepsis. We returned to America just in time to help settle my father in a new assisted living complex, only to have to rush to Buffalo, New York, where my sister-in-law was dying. We supported my brother-in-law as he navigated the complexities of selecting a gravesite and planning a funeral, a process complicated by my brother-in-law suffering an anxiety attack that sent him to the emergency room. My husband accompanied his brother to the ER while my niece and I took over planning the funeral. And when we left in early September, we left knowing that we were seeing my father for the last time before we would meet him in heaven. When my father died in mid-December, we did not return to America for the funeral because that would have left our hospital without a doctor at Christmastime, a time when doctors leave most small district hospitals to return to their home villages for several weeks. Generally, our hospital was one of the few still offering emergency operations at Christmas, and we didn’t want to fail our patients.

Writing this summary, I realize I have no idea how we survived all this, and yet, God was there and He did strengthen us. We came out as pure gold, not by our own efforts but by the grace of God.

Much of the Book of Job makes for very depressing reading; however, by the end, Job has been vindicated, his critics have been silenced, and God has restored far more than Job ever had to begin with.

Perhaps you feel as if you are in a time of deep darkness. You are waiting on God, but God seems to have hidden Himself. Do not give up! God is still there, and at the right time, He will deliver you. We learn far more from our times of darkness than we do while walking in the light.

May God strengthen and encourage you, so that at the end you will come out as fine gold.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You even when we feel lost in the darkness. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Proverbs 20:22 Don’t repay evil for evil. Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.

23 The Lord loathes all cheating and dishonesty.

24 Since the Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that happens along the way?

25 It is foolish and rash to make a promise to the Lord before counting the cost.

26 A wise king stamps out crime by severe punishment.

27 A man’s conscience is the Lord’s searchlight exposing his hidden motives.

28 If a king is kind, honest, and fair, his kingdom stands secure.

29 The glory of young men is their strength; of old men, their experience.

30 Punishment that hurts chases evil from the heart.

Proverbs 20:22 Don’t repay evil for evil. Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.

I could scarcely believe it! When my nurses called me to the operating theater to see a patient with a lip laceration, I was totally unprepared for what I would find. Two women had gotten into a fight, and one had bitten off part of the other’s lower lip. Fortunately, there was sufficient tissue left to do a good plastic surgical repair; however, I was left wondering how this second woman allowed herself to get so close to her assailant that she could lose part of a lip. How much hatred would it take to do such a thing?

The problem in this case was unforgiveness and a refusal to allow God to handle the matter. As the meme illustrates, “Not forgiving is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”While these two women might have been fetish worshipers, I have seen Christians and Muslims behave just as badly.

23 The Lord loathes all cheating and dishonesty.

24 Since the Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that happens along the way?

The fundamental cause of unforgiveness is a refusal to allow God to handle our matters. We are so certain that WE know what to do better than anybody else that we blunder ahead, spoiling everything in our paths. If we would wait on the Lord, God would handle things far better than we could. When confronted with calamities or inexplicable disasters, the medieval Christians had a saying, “God sort all!” This saying demonstrated faith that God could determine the outcomes far better than people could. But many of us are like the lady who bit off her enemy’s lip; we’re sure we can handle things, and we want vengeance NOW. Responding violently only begets more violence, and leads to escalating tensions. Want a perfect answer? Wait on the Lord.

25 It is foolish and rash to make a promise to the Lord before counting the cost. Jesus asked his disciples to consider the folly of beginning a building without knowing the cost and preparing wisely. In the same way, many times we rashly boast of intended exploits, only to have to retreat silently when things fail to materialize. When we fail to seek God’s guidance, we are planning to fail, no matter how elaborate our plans appear.

27 A man’s conscience is the Lord’s searchlight exposing his hidden motives. For many of us, our first mistake is refusing to listen to the voice of conscience, preferring to listen to other voices instead. When we fail to sit quietly before the Lord and listen to His Voice, we expose ourselves to cacophony, sensory overload that makes wise decisions nearly impossible.

28 If a king is kind, honest, and fair, his kingdom stands secure. It’s not merely kings who need to be kind, honest, and fair. God requires such behavior from each of us. Only when we wait on God and listen to Him will we act sagaciously.

29 The glory of young men is their strength; of old men, their experience. It has been said of air pilots that “There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.” One of the TV shows we consistently watch is “Air Crash Investigations,” a show depicting real air disasters and analyzing how these disasters have occurred. One of the persistent themes in these disasters is the failure of pilots to listen to their copilots or first officers. Many times, a younger pilot notices faults that are correctable, only for the senior pilot to ignore the information. Cockpit voice recorders preserve these discussions long after the crash. If experience teaches anything, it should teach us humility and a willingness to receive correction and advice.

26 A wise king stamps out crime by severe punishment….30 Punishment that hurts chases evil from the heart. Whether or not we like it, God is holy and just, having divine standards. These days, it seems popular to commit crimes and then attempt to cover them with false apologies and excuses. But God knows our hearts. As a good Father, God disciplines us so that we will change and reflect His holiness and righteousness. When we trust the Lord, we practice self-discipline and we wait for Him to act.

Galatians 5:22-26 tells us, “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws.

Those who belong to Christ have nailed their natural evil desires to his cross and crucified them there.

If we are living now by the Holy Spirit’s power, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Then we won’t need to look for honors and popularity, which lead to jealousy and hard feelings.”

Want revenge? Exercise self-control and wait on God, Who can handle matters perfectly. Forget revenge, and remember, plotting revenge is tantamount to drinking poison.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to wait on You to act, even when You seem to be taking a long time. Thank You for giving perfect answers that heal problems rather than merely solving them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Isaiah 8:1-4 Again the Lord sent me a message: “Make a large signboard and write on it the birth announcement of the son I am going to give you. Use capital letters! His name will be Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means ‘Your enemies will soon be destroyed.’” I asked Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, both known as honest men, to watch me as I wrote so they could testify that I had written it before the child was even on the way. Then I had sexual intercourse with my wife and she conceived and bore me a son. And the Lord said, “Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. This name prophesies that within a couple of years, before this child is even old enough to say ‘Daddy’ or ‘Mommy,’ the king of Assyria will invade both Damascus and Samaria and carry away their riches.”

Previously, God has already given Isaiah a son named Shear-jashub, “a remnant will return.” Now God wants Isaiah to father a second son with a prophetic name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, or “they (the Assyrians) hasten to the spoil of Syria and Israel and speed to the prey.” Although prophets don’t generally write out their prophecies, God orders Isaiah to write this second boy’s name in capital letters so everyone can read it.

5 Then the Lord spoke to me again and said: 6 “Since the people of Jerusalem are planning to refuse my gentle care and are enthusiastic about asking King Rezin and King Pekah to come and aid them, 7-8 therefore I will overwhelm my people with Euphrates’ mighty flood; the king of Assyria and all his mighty armies will rage against them. This flood will overflow all its channels and sweep into your land of Judah, O Immanuel, submerging it from end to end.”

Verse 6 literally says “you have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly.”  The phrase “the waters of Shiloh” refers to the spring on the southwest slopes of Mount Zion, one of the main sources of water for the city. Here God is comparing the gently flowing waters of Shiloh to the rushing waters of the powerful Tigris and Euphrates Rivers of Assyria. Although all-powerful, the One True Living God does not force Himself on anyone; in addition, God’s nature is holy and pure like the waters of Shiloh rather than like the muddy roiling waters of the Tigris or Euphrates. That is why He compares His nature to gently flowing waters from a living spring.

9-10 Do your worst, O Syria and Israel, our enemies, but you will not succeed—you will be shattered. Listen to me, all you enemies of ours: Prepare for war against us—and perish! Yes! Perish! Call your councils of war, develop your strategies, prepare your plans of attacking us, and perish! For God is with us.

11 The Lord has said in strongest terms: Do not under any circumstances go along with the plans of Judah to surrender to Syria and Israel. 12 Don’t let people call you a traitor for staying true to God. Don’t you panic as so many of your neighbors are doing when they think of Syria and Israel attacking you. 13 Don’t fear anything except the Lord of the armies of heaven! If you fear him, you need fear nothing else. 14-15 He will be your safety; but Israel and Judah have refused his care and thereby stumbled against the Rock of their salvation and lie fallen and crushed beneath it: God’s presence among them has endangered them! 16 Write down all these things I am going to do, says the Lord, and seal them up for the future. Entrust them to some godly man to pass on down to godly men of future generations.

17 I will wait for the Lord to help us, though he is hiding now. My only hope is in him. 18 I and the children God has given me have symbolic names that reveal the plans of the Lord of heaven’s armies for his people: Isaiah means “Jehovah will save (his people),” Shear-jashub means “A remnant shall return,” and Maher-shalal-hash-baz means “Your enemies will soon be destroyed.” 19 So why are you trying to find out the future by consulting witches and mediums? Don’t listen to their whisperings and mutterings. Can the living find out the future from the dead? Why not ask your God?

20 “Check these witches’ words against the Word of God!” he says. “If their messages are different than mine, it is because I have not sent them; for they have no light or truth in them. 21 My people will be led away captive, stumbling, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rave and shake their fists at heaven and curse their King and their God. 22 Wherever they look there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. And they will be thrust out into the darkness.”

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.

All these people consulting witches and wizards are committing abominations that spiritually contaminate their land. By refusing to wait on the Lord, these people are dooming themselves, their families, and their countries. Poor Isaiah! Imagine trying to teach and encourage friends, neighbors, and relatives who have no interest in being patient and who are constantly pursuing specious promises from false prophets who will say anything if the price is right.

17 I will wait for the Lord to help us, though he is hiding now. My only hope is in him. Both the Northern Kingdom and Judah are in turmoil. The Assyrians are moving in from the north, and it’s only a matter of time before they conquer the Northern Kingdom and Syria. Rather than turning to God, people are turning to witches and wizards, even trying to summon spirits from the dead for advice.  Even Isaiah feels as if God is hiding; however, Isaiah persists in trusting the Lord.

The question for us is simple: whom are we trusting? God doesn’t hide Himself; however, many times, His schedules and ours are quite different. We want instant deliverance, instant results. But God works on an eternal time clock. Although God can move instantly when the situation demands it, God is the One who determines the requirements of the situation, not us. May God help us so that we will trust Him, waiting for Him, even when He appears to be hiding.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You, even when Your answers seem to delay. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Isaiah 30:1-5 Woe to my rebellious children, says the Lord; you ask advice from everyone but me and decide to do what I don’t want you to do. You yoke yourselves with unbelievers, thus piling up your sins. For without consulting me you have gone down to Egypt to find aid and have put your trust in Pharaoh for his protection. But in trusting Pharaoh, you will be disappointed, humiliated and disgraced, for he can’t deliver on his promises to save you. For though his power extends to Zoan and Hanes, yet it will all turn out to your shame—he won’t help one little bit!

The ancient Israelites have always had a love/hate relationship with Egypt. Forgetting that they were Egyptian slaves for nearly 400 years, anytime the Assyrians or Babylonians threaten, the Israelites begin wooing Pharoah, sending gifts in hopes of protection.

6-7 See them moving slowly across the terrible desert to Egypt—donkeys and camels laden down with treasure to pay for Egypt’s aid. On through the badlands they go, where lions and swift venomous snakes live—and Egypt will give you nothing in return! For Egypt’s promises are worthless! “The Reluctant Dragon,” I call her!

In Hezekiah’s time when the Rabshakeh is besieging Jerusalem, he mocks Egypt, saying, ^“You need more than mere promises of help before rebelling against me. But which of your allies will give you more than words? Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, you will find her to be a stick that breaks beneath your weight and pierces your hand. The Egyptian Pharaoh is totally unreliable!” (2 Kings 18:20-21)

8-11 Now go and write down this word of mine concerning Egypt, so that it will stand until the end of time, forever and forever, as an indictment of Israel’s unbelief. For if you don’t write it, they will claim I never warned them. “Oh no,” they’ll say, “you never told us that!”

For they are stubborn rebels. They tell my prophets, “Shut up—we don’t want any more of your reports!” Or they say, “Don’t tell us the truth; tell us nice things; tell us lies. Forget all this gloom; we’ve heard more than enough about your ‘Holy One of Israel’ and all he says.”

The last thing the Israelites want is truth, for facing the truth will force them to repent, and repentance is repugnant to them. Centuries upon centuries, God has sent faithful prophets and generations of Israelites have refused to listen unless the prophets are saying what they want to hear. These people have conveniently forgotten what God has said about Himself in Numbers 23: “God is not a man, that he should lie; He doesn’t change his mind like humans do. Has he ever promised, without doing what he said?” Now God is reminding His obdurate people.

12-15 This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in frauds and lies and won’t repent, therefore calamity will come upon you suddenly, as upon a bulging wall that bursts and falls; in one moment it comes crashing down. God will smash you like a broken dish; he will not act sparingly. Not a piece will be left large enough to use for carrying coals from the hearth, or a little water from the well. For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says: Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved; in quietness and confidence is your strength; but you’ll have none of this.

WOW! You might think that after such a stern warning, God’s people would take notice and change….and you’d be wrong! These people have no interest in being corrected whatsoever.

16-18 “No,” you say. “We will get our help from Egypt; they will give us swift horses for riding to battle.” But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! One of them will chase a thousand of you! Five of them will scatter you until not two of you are left together. You will be like lonely trees on the distant mountaintops. Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him so he can show you, his love; he will conquer you to bless you, just as he said. For the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are all those who wait for him to help them.

These warnings are not new; God first gave these warnings to Moses as recorded in Deuteronomy 28. When Israel got kings, the kings were supposed to copy all the Torah for themselves and study it daily; however, not a single king ever did that, not even David or Solomon. The result was that the Law was totally ignored and God’s people paid for this ignorance.

We frequently speak of waiting on the Lord as if it were some burdensome task; however, we fail to realize that God waits on us far more than we wait on Him. Many of us have such short attention spans that we can barely concentrate on anything; meanwhile, God stands outside time, controlling it and acting within it only because He chooses to do so.

Nothing has changed. God still waits for those who will come to Him so that He can bless them. May God help us so that we will be tender-hearted and repent of our attempts to act as our own amateur providences!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to repudiate our sins and to wait on You. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 1:1-2 After the death of Moses, the Lord’s disciple, God spoke to Moses’ assistant, whose name was Joshua (the son of Nun), and said to him, “Now that my disciple is dead, you are the new leader of Israel. Lead my people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. 

3-5 I say to you what I said to Moses: ‘Wherever you go will be part of the land of Israel—all the way from the Negeb Desert in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Euphrates River in the east, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to oppose you as long as you live, for I will be with you just as I was with Moses; I will not abandon you or fail to help you.

6-9 “Be strong and brave, for you will be a successful leader of my people; and they shall conquer all the land I promised to their ancestors. You need only to be strong and courageous and to obey to the letter every law Moses gave you, for if you are careful to obey every one of them, you will be successful in everything you do. Constantly remind the people about these laws, and you yourself must think about them every day and every night so that you will be sure to obey all of them. For only then will you succeed. Yes, be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt! For remember, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

10-11 Then Joshua issued instructions to the leaders of Israel to tell the people to get ready to cross the Jordan River. “In three days we will go across and conquer and live in the land which God has given us!” he told them.

12-15 Then he summoned the leaders of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and reminded them of their agreement with Moses: “The Lord your God has given you a homeland here on the east side of the Jordan River,” Moses had told them, “so your wives and children and cattle may remain here, but your troops, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan River to help them conquer their territory on the other side; stay with them until they complete the conquest. Only then may you settle down here on the east side of the Jordan.”

16 To this they fully agreed and pledged themselves to obey Joshua as their commander-in-chief.

17-18 “We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses,” they assured him, “and may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. If anyone, no matter who, rebels against your commands, he shall die. So lead on with courage and strength!”

If anyone ever needed to wait on the Lord, Joshua would be that man! True, Joshua had followed Moses, ascending part-way up Mount Sinai, remaining in the Tent of Meeting, and closely observing Moses’ every move. But it was one thing to be the assistant and a totally different matter to take up leadership. Forty years had taught Joshua that the Israelites were difficult, stubborn, ungrateful, and liable to rebel anytime things didn’t happen to suit them. Joshua had watched as Moses, the meekest man on the face of the earth, had lost his temper, striking the rock rather than speaking to it to bring forth water. And Joshua knew full well that incident had cost Moses the opportunity to enter Canaan. Little wonder that Joshua might be fearful. What if Joshua were to lose his temper and commit some sin that would cause God to smite him? How was Joshua to follow a leader with the stature of Moses?

When did God speak to Joshua? We don’t know; however, we do know that Joshua spent long hours sitting or kneeling quietly before the Lord in the Tent of Meetingfor forty years. Presumably, that was when God spoke these words to Joshua.

Before television took over American entertainment, variety shows with musicians, gymnasts, magicians, and other acts were quite popular. But the most popular acts were always those involving trained dogs or trained ponies. These acts were thrilling and entrancing, with the audience sitting on the edge of their seats to see what would happen next. The problem came if your act was scheduled immediately after an act involving these animals, for people might leave the arena to buy popcorn and soft drinks, missing your act entirely. Since those managing the theaters depended on audience approval, if people left before your act began, you were unlikely to be invited to return to perform on subsequent dates. It took an amazing performance to keep people from leaving after the dog and pony acts were done. Because of these challenges, people in show business developed sayings about the problems of following the dog and pony show.

“Be strong and brave, for you will be a successful leader of my people; and they shall conquer all the land I promised to their ancestors. You need only to be strong and courageous and to obey to the letter every law Moses gave you, for if you are careful to obey every one of them, you will be successful in everything you do. 

The challenges Joshua was facing were very similar to those faced by the itinerant performers. Moses was a prophet, a priest, and a monumental leader. By comparison, almost anyone else would fall short. But here God was assuring Joshua that He would ensure Joshua’s success.

The challenges Joshua faced are common to all of us. Young pastors find themselves succeeding those with decades of successful ministry. Businessmen and women must take over flourishing companies, doing their best to maintain success and build on it. The examples are endless.

What can we learn from God’s advice to Joshua? When we obey God, He will help us to be strong and courageous. We must continue to follow God closely. When we are obedient, God is the One who guarantees great results. But remember that Joshua spent 40 years waiting on the Lord in that Tent of Meeting before God moved him into leadership. There is no such thing as instant obedience to God; we must build relationship with Him on an hourly and daily basis if we are to succeed.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to study Your Word and to listen for Your Voice. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Isaiah 42:1-3Then Johanan and the army captains and all the people, great and small, came to Jeremiah and said, “Please pray for us to the Lord your God, for as you know so well, we are only a tiny remnant of what we were before. Beg the Lord your God to show us what to do and where to go.”

4 “All right,” Jeremiah replied. “I will ask him and I will tell you what he says. I will hide nothing from you.”

5-6 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the curse of God be on us if we refuse to obey whatever he says we should do! Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we send you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.”

Jerusalem has fallen, and the Babylonians have carried off many of its citizens, leaving only a remnant. The Babylonians have left Gedaliah in charge of the government, and he is a good and honorable man. Unfortunately, Gedaliah is murdered. Jeremiah 41:1-3 tells us, “1 But in October, Ishmael (son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama), who was a member of the royal family and one of the king’s top officials, arrived in Mizpah, accompanied by ten men. Gedaliah invited them to dinner. 2 While they were eating, Ishmael and the ten men in league with him suddenly jumped up, pulled out their swords, and killed Gedaliah. 3 Then they went out and slaughtered all the Jewish officials and Babylonian soldiers who were in Mizpah with Gedaliah.

Ishmael kidnaps several of the king’s daughters and other prominent citizens and heads for the land of the Amorites; however, Johanan and his men catch up with Ishmael, rescuing the hostages. Ishmael and eight followers escape to the Amorites. But now the citizens of Jerusalem are terrified. What will the Babylonians do when they learn that someone has slaughtered Gedaliah? That’s when these people rush to Jeremiah, seeking answers.

7 Ten days later the Lord gave his reply to Jeremiah. 8 So he called for Johanan and the captains of his forces, and for all the people, great and small, 9 and said to them: “You sent me to the Lord, the God of Israel, with your request, and this is his reply:

10 “Stay here in this land. If you do, I will bless you, and no one will harm you. For I am sorry for all the punishment I have had to give to you. 11 Don’t fear the king of Babylon anymore, for I am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand. 12 And I will be merciful to you by making him kind so that he will not kill you or make slaves of you but will let you stay here in your land.

13-14 “But if you refuse to obey the Lord and say, ‘We will not stay here,’—and insist on going to Egypt where you think you will be free from war and hunger and alarms, 15 then this is what the Lord replies, O remnant of Judah: The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: If you insist on going to Egypt, 16 the war and famine you fear will follow close behind you, and you will perish there. 17 That is the fate awaiting every one of you who insists on going to live in Egypt. Yes, you will die from sword, famine, and disease. None of you will escape from the evil I will bring upon you there.

18 “For the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Just as my anger and fury were poured out upon the people of Jerusalem, so it will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will be received with disgust and with hatred—you will be cursed and reviled. And you will never again see your own land. 19 For the Lord has said: O remnant of Judah, do not go to Egypt!”

Jeremiah concluded: “Never forget the warning I have given you today. 20 If you go, it will be at the cost of your lives. For you were deceitful when you sent me to pray for you and said, ‘Just tell us what God says and we will do it!’ 21 And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey any more now than you did the other times. 22 Therefore know for a certainty that you will die by sword, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going.”

Notice the oath that Johanan and his followers swear to Jeremiah, promising absolute obedience. Too bad these people are lying. Jeremiah puts the problem before the Lord, but God doesn’t answer for ten days. Why this delay? God knows Jeremiah’s heart is true; however, God also knows that Johanan and the others have spoken in the heat of the moment. God delays ten days so that when Jeremiah gives God’s answer, there will be no room for backing out.

When Jeremiah calls the people together, they conveniently forget the solemn oath they have sworn. Jeremiah 43:1-4 When Jeremiah had finished giving this message from God to all the people, Azariah (son of Hoshaiah) and Johanan (son of Kareah) and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, “You lie! The Lord our God hasn’t told you to tell us not to go to Egypt! Baruch (son of Neriah) has plotted against us and told you to say this so that we will stay here and be killed by the Babylonians or carried off to Babylon as slaves.”

So Johanan and all the guerrilla leaders and all the people refused to obey the Lord and stay in Judah.

Now we see what is actually going on. These people don’t really want to hear from the Lord; they want Jeremiah to confirm decisions they have already made. The whole group takes off for Tahpanhes, Egypt, forcing Jeremiah and Baruch, his scribe, to accompany them. This decision proves disastrous, for soon Nebuchadnezzar invades Egypt, setting up his throne at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace in the center of Tahpanhes. By refusing to obey the Lord, the fugitives have brought destruction on themselves, just as Jeremiah has warned.

What can we learn from this tragic story? It’s not enough to wait on the Lord; we must also obey Him once He speaks. The survivors from Judah refused to obey God because His Will didn’t line up with theirs; however, God knew the Babylonians had no desire to leave the country totally desolate. The Babylonians had left an able governor to handle the province. Even after Ishmael murdered Gedaliah, the Babylonians would still have allowed the Judeans to remain at home to maintain the country and pay tribute. Waste lands don’t generate any tribute, so conquering armies always left settlers behind. The Samaritans who lived in what had been the Northern Kingdom were brought in by the Assyrians to maintain the land after the conquest of the Northern Kingdom.    

Bottom line: It’s not enough to simply spend time waiting on the Lord. You must be committed to obedience once God gives guidance, and you can’t try to do your will in God’s Name. David Yonggi Cho developed a church with 850,000 members in South Korea. When asked the secret of his success, Cho simply said, “I pray, and I obey.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to listen and obey. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.