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Setting Priorities in Life

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Setting Priorities in Life.  Haggai 1-2 “You have sown much, but harvested little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes” (1:6).                   The greatest tragedy is not failure but success in the things that do not matter. We are always pursuing elusive desires, thinking that if we get enough, we will be satisfied and content. However, the reality is that no matter how much we have, no matter how much we do or how great our achievements, we are always left with a feeling of failure. Contentment remains elusive. For the people of Israel, when they were able to return to the land of Israel after 70 years in captivity, they thought their greatest desires would be fulfilled. After longing to return to their homeland, they...
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When God Shouts for Joy

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When God Shouts for Joy Zephaniah 1-3 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.  He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (3:12).                   Reading through the prophets is often difficult because it seems the prophets continually beat the drum of God's judgment. One of the greatest mistakes people make is believing that God will not judge us or condemn our sin. However, through the prophets, God makes it clear that there will come a day of judgment when God condemns sin and those who practice it.                   However, as dark as the prophetic messages may seem, there is also interwoven throughout the prophets another message. It is a message of hope and affirmation for those who seek him. God never judge...
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Where is God in the Hardships of Life

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Where is God when We Cry in Sorrow? Habakkuk 1-3 “Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.  The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.”                     Habakkuk begins with a cry of despair and ends with a song of praise.  What happened, what changed his perspective from hopelessness to praise? How do we likewise find the voice of praise when we cry out in despair?                   Habakkuk cries out with a plea we also offer when we are going through times of trial and when we see the injustice in the world, where sin seems to be winning the day. “How long, O Lord, will I cry for help and you will not hear?” The words seem shocking coming from the lips of a prophet, yet they are the v...
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Judgment and Grace

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Nahum 1-3 “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”                   The book of Jonah (written around 798 b.c.) ended with Nineveh repenting of their sins and Jonah frustrated that God would forgive even the worst of sinners. However, as is often the case, when the threat of judgment is abated, people quickly forget God and return to their sin. Such was the case with Nineveh. When Nahum came upon the scene in 662-627 b.c., Nineveh was again facing God's judgment for their wickedness, including their cruel treatment of the people they captured in war. As a result, God again pronounced the coming judgment upon the nation. However, this time there would be no repentance, and they would face complete destruction.                   Nahum opens with a pictur...
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The Song of Victory

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The Song of Victory Micah 7 “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my Salvation.  My God will hear me.  Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fill I will rise, Though I ddwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.” (7:7-8).                   Having proclaimed a series of judgments in the first part of the book, Micah now ends with a song of praise and thanksgiving for God’s victory. Like Micah, we live in a world that seems broken and divided. Every day we read the news and are confronted by a number of ominous headlines. But even more troubling is that, in our own lives, we often face struggles that seem overwhelming. We seem to have no victory in our struggle with sin. Every day we are confronted with the reality that our world is broken. Cancer strikes and destroys indiscriminately. We struggle with relationships with other...
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The Coming of God: A Time of Judgment or Peace?

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The Coming of God: A Time of Judgment or a Time of Peace? Micah 1-4 “For Behold, the Lord is coming forth from His high place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.  The mountains will melt under Him and the Valleys will be split, Like wax before the fire, like water poured down a steep place.”                   Throughout the Bible, we find the theme of God’s return to the earth woven throughout its message. A central message of the Bible is that the times and events of the world are not cyclical but linear. It is often stated that history repeats itself. But it is also true that history is not just a series of arbitrary events that happen to particular people. History is directed by God and moving toward the conclusion that he has established. History began with the creation of humanity and their placement in the Garden. It concludes in the book of Revelation with...
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The Justice and Grace of God

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Judgement and Grace Obadiah and Jonah “I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and one who relents concerning calamity.” Jonah 4:2                   One reason people do not like to read the Old Testament, especially the prophetic books, is that they seem so dark and foreboding. The continual pronouncement of coming judgment becomes unrelenting. From the prophetic passages, people conclude that the wrath and severity of judgment conflict with Christ's message that God is gracious and abounding in mercy. However, we often miss one very important truth. All the judgments pronounced in the prophets came  before  the events rather than after them. Such is the case with the pronouncement of Obadiah of God’s impending judgment upon the nation of Edom for their violence and spiritual arrogance. Rather than follow ...
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