Burunche’s Blog

Judges 4:1 After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. 2 So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. 3 Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.

Judges 5:1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: 2 “Israel’s leaders took charge, and the people gladly followed. Praise the Lord! 3 “Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you mighty rulers! For I will sing to the Lord. I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.

4 “Lord, when you set out from Seir and marched across the fields of Edom, the earth trembled, and the cloudy skies poured down rain. 5 The mountains quaked in the presence of the Lord, the God of Mount Sinai—in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel. 6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the days of Jael, people avoided the main roads, and travelers stayed on winding pathways. 7 There were few people left in the villages of Israel—until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel. 8 When Israel chose new gods, war erupted at the city gates. Yet not a shield or spear could be seen among forty thousand warriors in Israel!

Before Moses died, God spoke through him repeatedly, warning the Israelites that if they failed to follow Him and worship Him, their enemies would overtake them. Well, the Israelites didn’t listen, choosing new gods, so King Jabin of Hazor sent his commander Sisera to control them. The astounding thing is the amount of wealth lodged in these small chieftaincies, for Sisera had 900 iron chariots, probably with nearly 2,000 horses to pull those chariots. And Sisera dominated the Israelites for twenty years.

9 My heart is with the commanders of Israel, with those who volunteered for war. Praise the Lord! 10 “Consider this, you who ride on fine donkeys, you who sit on fancy saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road. 11 Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes. They recount the righteous victories of the Lord and the victories of his villagers in Israel.
Then the people of the Lord marched down to the city gates. 12 “Wake up, Deborah, wake up!
Wake up, wake up, and sing a song! Arise, Barak! Lead your captives away, son of Abinoam!

Deborah was a judge and prophetess whom God used to call Barak to lead rebellion against Sisera. But Barak was afraid and demanded that Deborah should accompany him to the battle. Deborah agreed but stated that due to Barak’s temerity, credit for victory would go to a woman.

13 “Down from Tabor marched the few against the nobles. The people of the Lord marched down against mighty warriors. 14 They came down from Ephraim—a land that once belonged to the Amalekites; they followed you, Benjamin, with your troops. From Makir the commanders marched down; from Zebulun came those who carry a commander’s staff. 15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah and Barak. They followed Barak, rushing into the valley.

But in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision. 16 Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds—to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks? Yes, in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision. 17 Gilead remained east of the Jordan. And why did Dan stay home? Asher sat unmoved at the seashore, remaining in his harbors. 18 But Zebulun risked his life, as did Naphtali, on the heights of the battlefield.

One thing about the Old Testament, God doesn’t hesitate to call out names of heroes and cowards! Even though Deborah and Barak sent out urgent messages throughout Israel, begging for help, some tribes responded while others shilly-shallied, making excuses. Soldiers came from the tribes of Zebulon, Naphtali, Ephraim, and Issachar. And these men RUSHED to the battle, despite the horrible odds against them. Today, if you are facing battles and yet rushing toward them, realize that God sees, God remembers, and God will honor you for your faithfulness and courage!

19 “The kings of Canaan came and fought, at Taanach near Megiddo’s springs, but they carried off no silver treasures. 20 The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their orbits fought against Sisera. 21 The Kishon River swept them away—that ancient torrent, the Kishon. March on with courage, my soul! 22 Then the horses’ hooves hammered the ground, the galloping, galloping of Sisera’s mighty steeds. 23 ‘Let the people of Meroz be cursed,’ said the angel of the Lord. ‘Let them be utterly cursed, because they did not come to help the Lord—to help the Lord against the mighty warriors.’

Not only did a relatively small Israelite army put the kings of Canaan to flight, but the stars fought from heaven, and the Kishon River swept them away. Perhaps atmospheric conditions were perfect for monsoon-type rains. Although the Kishon River drains the Valley of Jezreel and much of Mount Carmel, it is also possible that heavy rainfall in the Gilboa mountains at the river’s source might have triggered a perfectly-timed flash flood, catching the Canaanite armies as they tried to cross the river and washing them away. Such floods carry boulders, trees, and other debris along with the water, crushing and drowning those in the path of the flood.

The citizens of Meroz, a town near the Kishon River, could have helped the Israelites and likely had treaties with them; however, the town conveniently forgot any agreements when threatened by the Canaanite armies. There is no sign of Meroz today, and even its ancient location is uncertain.

24 “Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents. 25 Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk.
In a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him yogurt. 26 Then with her left hand she reached for a tent peg, and with her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera with the hammer, crushing his head. With a shattering blow, she pierced his temples. 27 He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet. And where he sank, there he died…

31 “Lord, may all your enemies die like Sisera! But may those who love you rise like the sun in all its power!” Then there was peace in the land for forty years.

So far, God had raised up a small army, sending rain and flash floods to assist them. Now God used a quiet lady living in a tent to destroy Sisera the Canaanite commander. Sisera was fleeing in panic when he found the tents of Heber, Jael’s husband, and begged for help. Jael gave him yoghurt and water and a place to sleep; however, once Sisera was asleep, Jael drove a tent peg through his skull, nailing him to the floor and killing him instantly. Deborah’s prophecy was fulfilled: a woman had gained victory for the Israelites. Why did Jael violate custom to kill Sisera? I once speculated in another commentary that Sisera or his men might have raped Jael or some of her family. Certainly, swaggering army officers would view migrant women living in tents as fair game.

There’s no doubt that Deborah and Barak and their small army had to engage the Canaanites. But look at all the ways God used to help them gain victory. And when Jael drove that tent peg through Sisera’s skull, it was the final crowning blow. Not only was Sisera dead, but he had died at the hands of a lowly woman, and not even an Israelite at that, but someone far lower on the social scale because of her ten-dwelling status.

When we wait for God to deliver us, we must always remember that God can arrange situations to achieve His desired results. In this story, God controls the weather, the courage of a small army, and the emotions of a courageous lady to destroy Sisera and the Canaanite army. It’s likely that those 900 chariots of iron and the horses drawing them were swept away by flash flooding of the River Kishon. We don’t need to be choosy about how God delivers us; we simply need to praise Him and go forward.

Today, look at your situation. Are there elements built in on which you have not already acted? You might be waiting for some dramatic deliverance; meanwhile, God is handing someone you don’t even know a hammer and a tent peg. Waiting on the Lord is an active thing, not a passive one.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that You are a God of infinite possibility and You can use any person, any situation, to achieve Your purposes. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Isaiah 43:5 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west.
6 I will say to the north and south, ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth.
7 Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.’”

8 Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
9 Gather the nations together! Assemble the peoples of the world! Which of their idols has ever foretold such things? Which can predict what will happen tomorrow? Where are the witnesses of such predictions? Who can verify that they spoke the truth?

10 “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God—there never has been, and there never will be.
11 I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior.
12 First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord.
13 “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.”

If you want to worry yourself to death, just pay too close attention to current events. Wars, conflicts, weather-related disasters, encroachment of fertile farm land by solar farms, wind farms and data centers, and the rising cost of living-If one of these problems doesn’t get your adrenaline flowing, several of them put together will certainly do so.

One of our problems is that we automatically assume that we have more problems than any generation before us. But consider the 1930’s in America when droughts, floods, insect infestations, and the Great Depression combined to make life nearly impossible for millions of people. Those of us with parents or grandparents who survived the Depression have watched those people save everything for fear that they might need those things one day. Those people had to become experts on recycling just to survive.

The Depression scarred many people; however, it also refined many others. What made the difference? Those people who survived without becoming bitter trusted God while others felt that God had abandoned them.

5 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”  So many times, we forget this simple fact. We are convinced that we must depend only on ourselves, and if we are honest, we realize that our resources are inadequate.

7 “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.’” God has made each one of us for His glory, whether or not we believe it. We are precious! We are loved!

10 “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God—there never has been, and there never will be. 11 I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. Although these verses mention Israel, we too are called to be God’s servants and we too have been chosen to know Him, believe in Him, and understand that He alone is God. God alone is our Savior; there is no other reliable source of help.

Why are these verses so important for us? Most of us need all the help we can get! We feel stuck in situations with no way out; yet, we must continue to continue. God tells us in verse 13“From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.” We are not merely victims of fate or karma or chance; we are beloved children and nothing and nobody can snatch us out of God’s hand. Does this mean things will be easy? Far from it! But with God helping us, things will be survivable, and we can continue to praise God in the midst of our messes.

Remember this truth when things are difficult: Nobody can snatch you out of God’s hand. Nobody can undo what God has done. Here in Ghana, there’s a gospel song that says, “Who has the final say? Jesus Christ has the final say! Jehovah turned my life around. He makes a way where there is no way. Jesus Christ has the final say.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to continue to trust You, even when things appear difficult, knowing that You do have the final say! In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Isaiah 43:1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

It was a sight few people will ever forget. Catastrophic storms had wracked the Gulf Coast, dumping unthinkable amounts of water on major cities such as Houston, Texas. The government did what it could; however, far more rescuers were needed. That’s when the good ole boys-and girls-from across the Southeast hitched up their boat trailers with all the gear they had and moved to the flood-stricken areas. Calling themselves “the United Cajun Navy,” these men and women volunteered, saving thousands of lives, rescuing people from trees and rooftops. As experienced hunters and fishermen, these people were used to high water, mud, snakes, alligators, and all the other kinds of dangers encountered in floods. (For those of you who are not Americans, the term “Cajun” refers to the hunters, trappers, and fisherfolk living in southern Louisiana. If you have ever watched the TV series “Swamp People,” those people are Cajuns, and some Americans consider them as “bush people.” My African friends will understand that term.) These people knew how to improvise to get jobs done, using the wrong equipment for the right purpose. During that first response, thousands of people were rescued by those running bass boats (small fishing boats.)

The founder and president of the United Cajun Navy is Todd Terrell, a local businessman who lost fishing boats and a prosperous restaurant to Hurricane Katrina. In the wake of his family’s tragic losses, Terrell realized that God was calling him to a different purpose. Terrell has told reporters, “When you lose everything, sometimes you get angry at God. But my faith was such that it was like, “You know, there’s got to be a better calling for me.’ And then next thing you know, it turned into this. God had a better plan for me.” These days, UNC responds to all sorts of disasters throughout America, involving anyone who will help, from motorcycle clubs to church groups to individual volunteers. Due to the varied nature of those involved, UNC has access to construction equipment, heavy machinery, large trucks, and all kinds of other resources. UNC also now responds to areas devastated by fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other disasters. UNC now encompasses weather watch, disaster relief, and search and rescue operations, all with volunteer help and public donations.

What about fire fighters? Eighty-two per cent of all fire departments in America are mostly volunteer. Sometimes heads of these departments receive a small salary from the local government and other times they receive nothing apart from public encouragement. These men and women train several times a month, maintaining personal fitness so that they can act effectively when flames are consuming a building. Volunteers run the same risks as paid fire fighters, and one friend became paraplegic when a chimney collapsed on him while he was fighting a fire in rural Illinois.

Why mention these groups when speaking about God’s deliverance? God uses people to do His work. But we must recognize God’s provision. There’s a horrible story told about a pastor in a town near a river that was flooding. The police warned everyone to get out of town; however, the pastor refused, stating that God would deliver him. The water kept rising, and finally the pastor wound up on the roof of the church. Two men came by in a boat, offering help, but the pastor refused. “God will deliver me,” the pastor stated. Then a helicopter swooped in, and again the pastor refused, stating, “God will deliver me.” Finally, the pastor drowned! When the pastor reached heaven, he questioned God, “Lord, why didn’t You deliver me?” God replied, “I sent the police, two guys in a boat, and a helicopter. What more did you want?”
 

3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.

I always become teary-eyed when I read this part, for God is literally pleading with the Israelites to understand the depth of His love for them. In Isaiah’s day, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba were three of the richest and most powerful kingdoms there were. God is saying that nobody is more precious to Him than the Israelites.

Many of us may have come from dysfunctional families where we were perpetually ignored, taken for granted, or even abused and insulted. We might have struggled to achieve meaningful careers and a sense of self-worth. We might have found ourselves in marriages where the dynamics echoed the dysfunction of our nuclear families. And with all this, we might be ready to give up on everything and everybody. Why wait for God when everyone else has disappointed us?

But God is not like those who have wounded you in the past. God is a loving Father who knows you better than you know yourself. God does not abuse His children; in fact, God cares about every intimate detail of your life. When you wait on God, expecting Him to act in His time, wonderful things can happen. God can heal those hurts you have carried for so long. God can redeem every one of the terrible experiences you have endured. You might feel as if you have gone through fire and water, but God has brought you through, and He will lift you up.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please heal all those reading these words. Speak to their hearts and reassure them that they ARE precious to you! In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.   

Psalm 18:39 You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet. 40 You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me. 41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer. 42 I ground them as fine as dust in the wind. I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
43 You gave me victory over my accusers. You appointed me ruler over nations; people I don’t even know now serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreign nations cringe before me. 45 They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds.

46 The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted! 47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he subdues the nations under me 48 and rescues me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents. 49 For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. 50 You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.

If we only read the first verses in this selection, we might feel that David is simply boasting about himself, but he is not. David is actually boasting about the Lord. According to David, God has given him complete victory to the point that David can put his feet on the necks of his enemies, indicating complete victory. God has destroyed all these enemies, even when they have called out to God. Because of these previous victories, foreign nations cringe before David as they lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds.

46 The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted! For those of us familiar with traditional praise music, these phrases are quite familiar; however, look at them from David’s standpoint. David has grown up in a society largely given over to idol worship, dominated by false gods powerless to help in any fashion. “The Lord lives” is not simply a nice verse but a statement of fact.

What does the phrase “The Lord lives!” mean for us today. Such a short phrase-how can these three words help us? Never forget that God is always putting explosive ideas in small packages. When we pronounce “the Lord lives!” over our problems, we are acknowledging that God is the Think of seeds and flower, acorns and oak trees. One who can sort things out, who can solve them perfectly. When we try to solve problems, we only create messes, and many times, the harder we try, the messier things get.

As I am writing this, we are in the throes of a dilemma. We have just learned that both of us have significant high school reunions coming up in July. In the meantime, we are funding projects that must be completed promptly. We must leave money for people who depend on us. There are also other considerations we must handle in addition. One of my husband’s beloved relatives has entered hospice. Can we make it in time to see him before he dies? I might need to undergo a cataract operation on one eye. Can we arrange that? Which airline will we use and which airports? The more we think about these things, the more confusing everything appears. What we must do is to remember that the Lord lives, and therefore, the Lord can handle all these issues. Surely the One who has created the universe is capable of sorting out our small challenges.

Are you struggling today? Confused? Worried? Remember, THE LORD LIVES! PRAISE TO OUR ROCK! MAY THE GOD OF OUR SALVATION BE EXALTED!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to always remember that You are the One whom we can trust to handle all our problems. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 18:20 The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. 22 I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. 23 I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. 24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence.

25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. 26 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. 27 You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. 28 You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. 29 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

30 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. 31 For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? 32 God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. 33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. 34 He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. 35 You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. 36 You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. 37 I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered. 38 I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet.
 At first when we read these verses, we might think David is boasting about his integrity and his faithfulness. Certainly, David goes through a kind of checklist for all the virtuous things he has done, but actually, David is boasting about God. While David mentions his innocence and his commitment to righteousness, he fully realizes that these qualities only allow God to help him, but without God’s help, he has no strength whatsoever. While David speaks of himself in the first few verses, after that, he graphically describes all the ways God has helped him.

25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. 26 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. 27 You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. 28 You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. 29 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

30 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

We might feel that David is boasting about his own virtue; however, consider the setting out of which David has come. There is nothing to suggest that David’s family worshiped God at all. David met God out in the sheep pastures, not at home. Under the circumstances, David is not vaunting his own strength or wisdom, but the wisdom and strength he has received from God. But have all these answers to prayer come instantly? Far from it! Read David’s story and you realize that David has survived any number of near-disasters. David has had to work very hard to avoid capture by King Saul, and yet, God is the One who has guided David and who has even moved outsiders to attack Israel, forcing Saul to suspend his pursuit of David.

What can we learn from these verses? When we wait patiently for God, He can strengthen and deliver us just as He has David. Repeatedly, David encounters challenges only to find that God is already there protecting him and preparing him for even greater things. God will do the same thing for us.

Trust God! God does not play favorites and He will do for us what He has done for David and for so many of the other saints. God will give us “the shield of victory” if we will only wait for Him.

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

Psalm 18:1 I love you, Lord; you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and he saved me from my enemies.

If anybody knew what it felt like to be attacked and need protection, David would be the one. As the youngest and smallest boy in a family of macho men, David was relegated to herding sheep while his brothers were preening themselves back in the family compound. But God was training David to kill lions and bears that threatened the sheep and preparing him to pick off Goliath with an accurately placed stone from a sling. How many millions of stones did David aim at targets while he was watching sheep?

Later, David would find himself pursued by King Saul throughout the wilderness parts of Israel. Repeatedly, David would find himself taking refuge in caves or hiding behind huge rocks while Saul’s men would pass harmlessly by on the other side. One time, when Saul was about to catch David, a messenger rushed in, telling him that Israel was under attack, forcing him to break off the pursuit to move the army to counter this attack.

But what does it mean that God is a rock, a shield, and a place of safety? We never know when we are going to be attacked. I once walked into a public meeting thinking I was supporting a fellow staff member, only to find myself the target of a planned campaign designed to humiliate me and destroy my reputation in the community. Four more similar meetings followed, each one worse than the last. God gave me the strength and the courage to maintain a relaxed body position and to smile at all those screaming false accusations. Did those accusations hurt? Absolutely! Nobody wants to be accused falsely. But God helped me so that I was able to survive those confrontations gracefully. Rather than simply being a physical rock, God is a spiritual Rock, offering shelter, protection, and encouragement.

4 The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me.
5 The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path.
6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.

7 Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger.
8 Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
9 He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
11 He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
15 Then at your command, O Lord, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me.
19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

Did God appear in fire and smoke and lightning? No. But God did help me to endure and to continue to care for patients while all these meetings were going on. “18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me.”  Later that same year, I found myself working alone once more; one colleague went on leave, one left for school, and one transferred to a different facility. Rocks don’t move and they are stable. In that time of instability, God proved once more to be the Rock on which I could depend.  

“19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.” Do I deserve God’s delight in me? Frankly, no. God delights in me because I am His creation and because I love Him and try to serve Him, but not because I deserve anything from Him. God delights in me because that is His Nature.

God does not play favorites! The same God who protected David while he was herding sheep and then running from Saul’s armies, the same God who has preserved me and allowed me to work for all these years – that same God delights in you and longs for you to rely on Him as your Rock. Trust God! Confess your sins to Him, knowing that He is holy and righteous but also merciful and forgiving.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us are tired, worried, and emotionally drained. We need You to be our Rock, unshakeable, immovable, eternal. Help all who read these words to trust in You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

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