All in Salvation
It is time, says Habakkuk—time to rejoice, for the LORD has enabled him to rise above his circumstances. Strong’s Concordance suggests Habakkuk would be “jumping with joy”, the MSG translation “turning cartwheels”. Hmm, I feel a song coming on. Singing along with me?
We were on a walk when my dog suddenly slowed, and my attention was drawn to the street. There before me was a huge snake. Three things happened simultaneously: I jumped, I screamed, and I pulled my dog away—only to realize afterward that the snake was dead.
The pages of Amos are filled with sorrow—this lament I take up concerning you: “Fallen is virgin Israel, never to rise again” (5:2). The visions the LORD gives his prophet are too great to bear.
Rhetoric: “the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech” (online Oxford Languages). Amos is variously praised in the commentaries for his gifted writing. I was intrigued.
I sometimes watch a fun little show on HGTV called “Love it or List it?” The homeowners have a problem with the design or layout of their house which bothers them. An excellent designer comes in, remodels, and presents the homeowners with a brand-new beautiful version of their home.
The God we worship, the God of Scripture, is a lot of things: wise, powerful, omniscient, omnipotent, loving, forgiving... And on any day, most of us a need a God who possesses these qualities and more.
Occasionally, my father would tell us an action-packed story from his WWII experiences. My favorite ones described the so-thick-you-could-walk-on-it shrapnel that brought down his B-17 bomber. As the pilot, to save his crew, he bailed out last.
If faith is being certain of what is unseen, then why are eyes important in scripture?
I have friends who like to scuba dive. They put on their equipment and plunge into a different world under the sea. The sea isn’t an environment suited to man naturally. However, with the right equipment, it is possible to breathe and explore fascinating things God has created.
There is no doubt in my mind that Jonah had a greater than passing acquaintance with the LORD. After all, he was a prophet with whom God shared His mind. The Hebrew for know is “yada: to know by experience”.
I love the little aside about the sailors. No way did they want to throw Jonah into the turbulent waters. They did their best to row back to land, but the sea grew even wilder than before (1:13).
My neighbor texted me to ask if we had nets to cover the two fruit trees in our backyard to protect them from the anticipated winter weather. I have to admit, I had not even thought about how the cold temperatures could bring death to our trees.
Most couples struggle to decide on the best name for their children. My parents batted around several names before I was born. They arrived at the hospital to deliver me, certain I would be called Robin. When I left the hospital, my name was Terri.
The trio is back…the mother, the father and their fledgling Cardinals. They regularly visit the platform bird feeder. I like to study their interactions.
A cruise may be a relaxing get-away, but the months of preparation before you step onboard are strenuous. I didn’t expect so many hoops to have to jump through. Getting a passport, adding four smartphone apps, completing applications, and coordinating port requirements took many hours of concentrated work.
A World War II veteran shared some of his experiences at my church. He recounted carefully maneuvering through a minefield with his troop. Terror filled the group as one of his buddies up ahead inadvertently stepped on a mine. This soldier knew he had no hope unless someone helped him. All he could do was stay extremely still, remain calm and wait. One wrong move would end his life.
Micah wrote in 742-687 B.C., 700 years before Christ was born. All of Israel knew the prophecy, that Bethlehem was to be the birthplace of the Messiah. The chief priests and teachers of the law knew it when King Herod asked where the Christ was to be born (Matthew 2:4-5). Simeon knew it as he waited in the temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:25); so did Anna (Luke 2:38). That origins of Messiah were from of old, from ancient times, was a given to those waiting for His birth.
Doom and gloom; doom and gloom! I don’t know about you but that’s how I look at the writings of the minor prophets, in the main. We study the likes of Micah who spat out the truth of God in no uncertain terms, and so he should. The people needed to understand they couldn’t continue to disobey the Law as God set it out in the Mosaic covenant. There were consequences. Hear says Micah in classical Hebrew poetry style (1:2); Listen (3:1, 6:1): the LORD does not like your sin.
He insisted on creating a garden beside his new country home, but the iron ore boulders stood in the way! Daddy persevered. He’d already sold off the largest ones for the iron, but he had to heave the mid-sized ones over the fence one-by-one. Even though only smaller ones eventually remained, they continued to ‘show up!’ Seems novice gardeners soon discover that stones continue to work their way to the surface of the soil! Clearing the land would never totally end on that rocky hilltop. That’s how it is with our own maturing in Christ, our sanctification. It’s never finished, a principle believers learn just like my gardener daddy learned about rock clearing. We’ll continue to grow up in Christ until the time we actually see Him face-to-face.
Have you ever been wronged or betrayed? Of course you have. It’s a devastating part of being human. One particular betrayal comes to my mind from the workplace, and I remember wondering if I would ever get beyond the hurt. When the betrayal comes from someone you loved and trusted, the wound seems beyond healing. With God’s grace and through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers can begin the journey of forgiveness. The memory might fade with time, but it never truly disappears. Not so with God! When Christ died in payment for our sins, an amazing thing happened—something our human mind can’t fully understand.
