August 20 – Habakkuk 1 - 3

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Habakkuk 1-3. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

There is no real spiritual edification that is about to be bestowed on you for what you are about to read in the next few sentences. One of my favorite books of the Bible to pronounce is Habakkuk. I love letting it thrust from my throat. I loved to smack the back of my tongue against the roof of my mouth at I stress the K’s. For some reason I feel I am German and must sound angry when I am saying it (When I was in Germany I felt every one was always angry when they were talking; they could be saying I love you and to me it sounds angry). You can go to Wikipedia and play the pronunciation suggestions at the beginning of the description to see how to say it. Both versions are correct. Now to some real spiritual edification …

In God’s response to Habakkuk in chapter two God reveals the truth about false God’s. In a way I feel as if God is taunting the proud, greedy, murders, and strait up sinners. God says … “What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, “wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? They me be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside.” (Habakkuk 2:19 NLT)

Are we like the people in the last days of Jerusalem? Have we put our hope in man made images and objects? Sure they may not be idols carved of wood and stone that serve as a deity to us. But they are physical man made object that have become our hope. Things like retirement accounts, sports, television, the internet, alcohol, and so many more fill our hope. Now many of these things are not wrong and if used right can be a tool of God for His blessing. But when our hope is in them, and not in God, we are doing what Judah did. When we turn to them for fulfillment, the internet, television, and alcohol, just to name a few, instead of God, we are doing what Judah did.

Friends, put your hope in God. He is so much more than a carved image and so much more than any escape we might find. He is creator and sustainer of everything we know. He has shoulder broad enough to carry any pain, any hurt, and any worry. He loves you so much that He sent Jesus to pay the debt of your sin. Turn to Him!