Have you ever sung “Onward Christian Soldiers?” One of the stanzas reminds us, “Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane…” Some of us are more interested in politics than others. We’re all living in kingdoms that are either rising or waning in their strength.
Read More lifestyle, convictions, consequences“How many times do I have to tell you?” seems to be a standard question in the parenting manual of many families. Parents have their challenges with ‘repeat offenders,’ and often struggle to find enforcable boundaries for their children.
Read More restoration, downfall, destructionWho do you go to with your tough questions? In a “Google” search world, there are many options, but we don’t like the uncertainty while we wait for answers.
Read More trust, perplexity, questions“Stop the ride. I want to get off.” Our daughter’s petrified cry shocked our family as the ferris wheel lurched on its 360 degree journey. The ride, which had appeared so enticing, was now generating nausea and fear.
Have you ever wanted God to “stop the world” so you could get off?
Read More evil, prayer, trust, injustice, perplexityHow much do you enjoy waiting? In this chapter, God urges Habakkuk to wait for a future change. While he waits, he is to watch and write down what God says. God intends to bring his judgment in his time and in his way.
He will judge those who have stolen from individuals, communities, even entire nations.
Read More writing, journalling, active listeningHow often do you review what God has done? Habakkuk, who was perplexed by the present, prayerfully reviewed what God had done in previous generations.
He recounted God’s holiness, glory, power, wrath, protection and guidance.
Read More reflection, review, prayer, worshipRead Reflect How willing are you to go where God wants you to go and do what he wants you to do? As the refugees from Judah flee towards Egypt, they plead with God’s prophet, Jeremiah, to pray for them. They are “connecting the dots” and they realize they desperately need God’s help, so they […]
Read More friends, prayer, obedience, commitmentRead Reflect “Ignorance may be bliss” for some people, but not those who claim to know God. Knowledge, however, certainly doesn’t guarantee obedience. The root issue in our rebelliousness is seldom a lack of information. As a pastoral friend once told me, “For the believer the opposite of ignorance is not knowledge but obedience!” God’s […]
Read More rébellion, obedience, excusesLife is filled with warnings, isn’t it? Car owners see a myriad of coloured symbols on their dashboards and dig out the owner’s manual to learn more. Our technological gadgets give us warnings about viruses, software updates and drive us to the “help” menu many times.
Read More judgment, repentance, warnings