Lessons From Habakkuk

I was reading Habakkuk in my devotions and was impressed by how relevant this book is for us today. The Lord gave me some key thoughts which I would love to share. They are as follows.

(My Word document doesn't keep all of its formatting when it is copied to this blog.)

Chapter One

God, are you there? How long must I call for help? Vs.2

God, do you care? Why do you not answer? Vs. 2

God, are you fair? Why do you tolerate wrong. Verses 3,4

o Injustice

o Destruction, violence, strife

o Wicked hem in the righteous

o Justice is perverted

God answers – Bad people are coming to deal with these bad people in Israel

But is that fair, they are worse than those they are destroying?

Chapter Two

Habakkuk – God I don’t understand but I will watch and wait for an answer. Vs. 1

God answers: Journal this: (verses 2,3)

· The revelation, (understanding of things,) has an appointed time.

· There is an end coming and the revelation is related to that end. History is moving to a conclusion.

· The revelation will be true and all God’s promises will be true.

· If it is not clear and it delays, just keep waiting, it will come.

God’s conclusion, “the righteous will live by faith.” Vs. 4

What about the wicked?

Woe to those who:

o Pile up stolen goods vs. 6

o Build his realm by unjust gain vs. vs. 9

o Build a city with bloodshed vs. 12

o Take advantage of others for sexual exploitation vs. 15

o Practice idolatry vs. 19

The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you. Vs. 16

In spite of everything we see around us, “The Lord is in his Holy Temple, let all the earth be silent before him.” Vs. 20

Chapter Three

Historical Perspective—God has done mighty things in the past. Vs 2 (reviewed in verses 3-15)

Contemporary Perspective – Lord come and do mighty things in our midst today. Vs. 2

Habakkuk’s response:

· He heard, he grasped the awesome power of God. Vs. 16

· He became emotionally engaged, heart lips, legs. vs. 16

· He declares his willingness to wait for God’s action even if: verses 16-17

o There are no grapes or figs

o There is no harvest of olives

o There are no sheep in the pen

o There are no cattle in the stalls

o (In other words the economy stinks.)

He affirms his willingness to live joyfully in the Lord (This is how Jesus-followers are to be known.) vs. 18

How can Habakkuk affirm these things?

“The Sovereign Lord is his strength” Vs. 19 (Helping him rise above the circumstances to see things the way God sees them.) We need God’s Holy Spirit to live with hope in a world where evil surrounds us.

Missional Lessons from the Book of Jonah

As I was reading through the book of Jonah in my devotions, the following thoughts came to me. I hope they will be helpful to others. They are not new but they confirm some key elements of God's redemptive process.

1. God loves bad people.
2. Judgement awaits bad people who continue in their ways.
3. God calls and uses imperfect people to deliver his message.
4. Share God's message openly. You never know who will respond.
5. God has mercy on those who humble themselves.
6. Whole cities can be impacted when the leaders humble themselves.
7. God continues to love and teach his messengers.

Well that's it, I look forward to being one of those imperfect messengers in 2012.

Blessings to all,

John Quam

Phrases for Meditation and Reflection

I have committed to reflecting and meditating on a key phrase each day starting in January 2012. I have listed here my phrases for January. I would like to discipline my mind to consider these positive thoughts in a more concerted way. I invite anyone who reads this to join me. Feel free to exchange phrases as you are led. Let me know of key phrases God brings to your mind. There are eleven more months to fill out. :)


Daily phrases
for meditation and reflection:
January
1. God is good
2. Holy is the Lord
3. God is patient
4. God forgives
5. God is love
6. Abba Father
7. Jesus our Bridegroom
8. He has risen
9. Hope in the Lord
10. Jesus the Vine
11. God the Creator
12. Jesus the Logos
13. Lover of the poor
14. The Holy Spirit gives freedom
15. God is merciful
16. Jesus is the Truth
17. Sing praise to the Lord
18. All good gifts are from the Lord
19. All nations will worship Him
20. Give thanks always
21. He gives us new songs
22. Prince of Peace
23. Follow Him, he gives us our desires
24. By grace through faith
25. Lord of the Sabbath
26. Be exalted O’ God
27. Dead to sin
28. Jesus is the Way
29. Jesus the Good Shepherd
30. Lord of the Harvest
31. Come Lord Jesus

Lessons from Ezekial Part 2

17. We get a clear picture of God’s redemptive work.
God begins with the cleansing and renewing of our hearts, He gives us his Spirit
which results in changed behavior. 36:25-26

18. In the “Valley of Dry Bones,” God puts the bones back together, puts flesh on them and
breaths life into them. He then puts us
together to be an army to serve him. Ch. 37

19. God’s never loses sight of the ultimate goal
which is to bring blessing and salvation to all nations. 37:28.

20. God promises that evil will be defeated and
God’s people will be victorious. (There
is much I don’t understand in chapters 38&39, but I do know that we are on
the winning side.)

21. A river flows from the temple of God’s presence
to bring healthy water and life to many.
All of nature will be blessed and healing will flow to the nations. Ch. 47

22. In this new economy there are boundaries and
gates. Ch. 48

The name of the city is: “The Lord is There.”

Lessons From Ezekial - Part One

Lessons from Ezekiel
By john Quam
1. When God calls you as His messenger, deliver the message, do not be afraid,
(mentioned 3 times in ch. 2:6.) Results are not relevant to your being faithful to the call.

2. God holds us accountable for being faithful to our call. (3:16-21.)

3. God uses storytelling and visual images to communicate his message. (Many passages)

4. God gets angry over pride and sinful rebellion.(Many passages)

5. In the midst of judgment, God promises grace and mercy. (11:16-20)

6. God is especially upset over irresponsible leadership and holds those leaders to
even higher levels of accountability. (ch. 13 & ch. 34)

7. We are responsible for our own sins, we can’t blame our parents or our
children. (18:20)

8. God does not take pleasure in punishing the wicked. (18:23,32)

9. God’s justice includes mercy. 18:25

10. God calls us to righteous living through a new heart and a new spirit.
(18:31). God promises these in 36:26.

11. God uses the evil that exists in the world, (men and nations,) to accomplish his
will. (Many passages.)

12. Good people also suffer. (24:18.) Ezekiel’s wife dies.

13. God hates pride. It is the ultimate sin. God reveals the origins of pride in the origins of Satan ch. 28, especially verses 11-17.

14. When God calls us to a place of responsibility, (watchmen on the wall,) and we fail,we are held accountable. Responsibility and accountability go hand-in-hand. Ch.33

15. God promises the coming of a great and good shepherd to come and care for his
sheep. This is a clear reference to Jesus who later calls himself, “The Good Shepherd.” (34:33)

16. God’s ultimate purpose is not about us or the people of Israel. It is to bring honor and glory to his name. (36:22.)

A Question of Perspective

Your Son or My Brother

In Luke 15:11-32 Jesus tells the story of the “Prodigal Son, or as in my translation, the “Lost Son.” I have read this story many times but the Lord showed me something new this morning, so I thought I would write it down. At the end of the story, the older son asks his servants the reason for the celebration going on. They tell him that his father is rejoicing because his brother has returned.

When he complains to his father that he has never received this kind of a party but when, “this son of yours,” has come back, after wasting all his inheritance, his return brings a celebration. The father replies that he has always been with him, (they have been in constant relationship,) but now this brother of yours who was out of relationship is now back. He was lost but now is found.

What struck me was the older brother’s unwillingness to own the relationship. The “prodigal” was his father’s son but not his brother. The father had not cut him off but the older brother had. Like the question of the Pharisee, “who is my neighbor,” we might also ask, “who is my brother.” Have I cut someone off, disliking, ignoring or avoiding them? Am I upset if someone else is blessed because I don’t think he or she deserves it? Maybe, I think I am the one to get the blessing, not them. If so, I need to ask the question, “why am I jealous of the father’s love for someone else?” Do I think his love for me is inadequate? Do I understand how precious my relationship with him is? It is more than any series of parties. When I understand the value of my relationship with the father, I can respect the way he loves others, no matter what they have done.

“Dear Lord, help me to live in deep relationship to you, valuing that relationship above all things; and help me to learn to love as you love. Help me rejoice at the return of your lost sons and daughters, my brothers and sisters, and help me join in at the celebration. May your family continue to grow. Amen”

The Turning Point

As Job reached the end of his rope and he can see no hope for him in the light of all the negative circumstances around him he comes to a new conclusion, different than the one of chapter 17. All that he has experienced continues to be his reality; money gone, children gone, friends gone, health gone. But, in 19:25-27, he makes this remarkable statement: "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes--I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" Now Job expresses hope, hope in God alone.

David must have read the book of Job. In Psalm 42 he writes of his tears and sadness and he instructs his inner self to turn its focus to God alone. "Why are you downcast , O my soul? Put your hope in God." While we may not understand our circumstances, (God's ways are often beyond our understanding,) We can still have hope. The end of the story is not yet. God is good, even if our circumstances are not. In the end we will see and experience this goodness. This is the only hope that stands the test of time. Today my circumstances are mostly good. Tomorrow I cannot be sure if I will have this same blessing. The book of Job, (and Psalm 42,) help me be ready for all that life may throw at me. "Life is hard but God is good." I don't know who said it but they they were right. I know that my Redeemer lives and I will someday see him and be with him. That truth makes all the difference.