“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Facing hard stuff is something we all have to do at some point in our lives. It may be a little hard. It may be a lot hard. But in a broken world, hard stuff is part of the journey. The only variable here is how we handle the hard. Read the rest…
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.'” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Lamentations is a series of complaints to God. Jeremiah wrote these toward the end of his ministry when Babylon had conquered and destroyed Jerusalem. It is mostly a bitter book. It’s tone is both corporate and personal. Chapter three here in particular is very personal. The prophet describes feeling totally abandoned and even actively attacked by the Lord. They are words that ring with familiarity to those who have experienced loss and grief and seasons of great distress today. Read the rest…
“O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.” (ESV – Read the book)
This will be a longer comment, but it’s going to cover the whole book. Habakkuk is one of my favorite books in the Bible (and not just because it’s really fun to say!). It is definitely my favorite among the minor prophets. I am drawn to it because it asks a question that people still ask today, and offers an answer that while not immediately satisfying (in fact, initially, it is deeply unsatisfying), after some reflection leads us into a greater peace and faith than we had before. Read the rest…
The Nexus 