For the one

a few thoughts from Habakkuk and Asa

Photo by Divide By Zero on Unsplash

One thing I’ve learned in life is that if I am going through something, chances are about 100% that someone else is going through the same thing. And when I read a Bible passage and it strikes me as helpful, I think maybe it will be for that other person too. Hence a few thoughts for the one . . .

Habakkuk 1–3

For the one who is facing what looks like an insurmountable difficulty and wonders where God is in the midst of it . . . he is right here.

O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. (1:2–3)

God, don’t you see what’s happening here? Where are you? Why are you letting this go on?

I realize this was not written to or about us, the church, but to Judah back when they hosed up every single good thing God ever designed, but we know that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16), so we’ll assume there is something we can learn in 2025 from Habakkuk’s complaint and God’s answer.

So what is God’s answer?

I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. (1:5)

You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I’m going to use a people group even more wicked than you to punish you, then I’ll deal with them later.

That sounds pretty harsh, doesn’t it? But if there’s one thing we can learn from Habakkuk, it’s that it is not our place to demand that God explain himself. We wouldn’t believe it if he did. Questions are fine—he can handle our hard questions; demands cross the line.

The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. (2:20)

So Habakkuk pipes down and waits even though he doesn’t understand. Even though he thinks God is wrong and unjust in what he’s doing. Even though he’s not getting the answers he wants. And in the end, he’s changed his tune:

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. (3:18–19)

ICYMI, a hind is a female deer. So God will make our feet sure and steady, not stumbling and tripping over every little thing.

We have a herd of deer that hangs out around the farm. Usually in the evenings we see them out in the pasture, wherever the cows are not. They’re a peaceful bunch, but when something startles them? They leap over five-foot fences with what looks like no difficulty at all. Pure power and grace, no running start, just a giant, effortless leap over something several feet taller than they are. Those are hinds’ feet, and God says he will make my feet like that.

And did you notice that “he will make me to walk upon mine high places”? Not always trudging through the valley, but eventually making it to the mountaintop, even if it’s only a temporary place (hint: it is). No matter how low the valley, we always have hope of the coming mountain. (Hat tip to my friend Michelle at Joie de Vivre for bringing up this topic recently right after I read Habakkuk.)

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9)

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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

2 Chronicles 14–15

For the one who doesn’t know what to do . . . some direction.

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. (15:7)

Asa was a good king, doing “that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God” (14:2)

He “commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers,” (that’s a whole sermon on its own), and he did away with all the idols.

But as it always does, trouble came, and his army was outnumbered almost 2 to 1. He didn’t let it get him down though. He just started begging God, telling him,

Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee . . . (14:11)

Asa’s habit was to call on God for help, and God’s habit was to come through for him. I want to be part of that.

Then a prophet came to Asa with a message from God (ch 15). Basically he said if you seek God, he will be found of you. Even when Judah wasn’t doing the greatest, when they turned to God, God was there for them.

But here’s the bottom line message to Asa:

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. (15:7)

What will be rewarded? Not your waiting. Not your whining. Not your worrying.

Your work. And what is the work?

The next few verses tell us that Asa “took courage” and with renewed vigor “put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah” (v 8). He gathered all the people together, and here’s what they did:

They offered unto the Lord (v 11).

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul (v 12).

They sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets (v 14).

The work was worship, devotion to the Lord.

And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire . . . (v 15a)

Their. Whole. Desire.

Nothing distracted them from it. Not their jobs, not their friends, not church activities, not social media . . . nothing.

And remember God said their work would be rewarded? What was the reward?

. . . and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about. (v 15b)

He was found. Not “they found him,” but he was found. He made himself findable. It wasn’t because they were so great, but because the Lord wants to be found by us.

And he gave them rest.

I’m sure there is nothing so fulfilling or peaceful as rest that is from the Lord. Remember in the last chapter when Asa and his army were in trouble and he told God, “for we rest on thee”? Asa knew where his rest came from. I would go so far as to say there is no rest apart from the Lord.

When we do the work—worship him, seek him with our whole desire—the reward is that we find him, and we rest.