We claim we want to know, but…

In this series, we’re walking with a prophet that is little-known to most of us modern-day Christians.  Habakkuk lived in the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah, just before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem.  However, where the writings of most other Old Testament prophets were about God’s message to the people, what we find unique about the book of Habakkuk is that the prophet records his conversation with God on behalf of the people.

Initially, we heard Habakkuk confront God about the selfish, even down-right evil, actions his fellow countrymen were committing.  He was struggling to understand why God hadn’t stepped in to address the troubles in Judah.  Then, we read God’s response – He is planning on punishing/correcting Judah by allowing the Chaldeans (aka the Babylonians) to invade Judah.  Next, we looked at how Habakkuk dealt with his frustration and shock over God’s plan.  And after that, we learned how those who were living according to God’s design would survive the Chaldean invasion.  Last time, we saw the Woes proclaimed on the Chaldeans because of their evil choices.

By now, Habakkuk is feeling a bit overwhelmed.  He started the conversation with God, asking what he believed to be very legitimate questions.  These were issues that were major troubles of his day.  Everywhere he looked, the Jewish people were committing violence against one another, there was rampant injustice, and wicked people were overrunning his country with no end in sight…but Habakkuk was focused on the moment of life he was living in, he did not consider that God’s perspective and plan was operating on a global-sized, historical scale. 

God’s ways and plans were too great for Habakkuk.  When God clued him into His plan, Habakkuk’s response shows us it was more than he could handle:

Habakkuk 3:2
Lord, I have heard the report about You;
Lord, I stand in awe of Your deeds.
Revive Your work in these years;
make it known in these years.
In Your wrath remember mercy!

As Habakkuk witnessed the future where the Chaldeans would be punished by God’s wrath for the evil they committed, his only response was to ask God to remember His mercy for his people.  Habakkuk then composes a prayer which recounts the way God has moved historically for the nation and also how the earth still trembles at God’s power.  You can read it in its entirety in Habakkuk 3:3-15, but here are some of the highlights:

Habakkuk 3:6, 10-13
He stands and shakes the earth;
He looks and startles the nations.
The age-old mountains break apart;
the ancient hills sink down.
His pathways are ancient.

The mountains see You and shudder;
a downpour of water sweeps by.
The deep roars with its voice
and lifts its waves high.

Sun and moon stand still in their lofty residence,
at the flash of Your flying arrows,
at the brightness of Your shining spear.

You march across the earth with indignation;
You trample down the nations in wrath.
You come out to save Your people,
to save Your anointed.

This recorded back-and-forth conversation with God throughout the book has left Habakkuk worn out.  The only thing he has left in him is to marvel at what God has both allowed and designed in the same historical moments. 

Habakkuk thought he wanted to know what God was up to.  He expected, based on his undesired circumstances, that he had a strong complaint against what God was seemingly not bothered with.  But after seeing only a part of God’s master plan, Habakkuk realized that he was the one who had it all wrong.

We do the same thing, don’t we?  We look at the headlines full of greed, violence, and all sorts of evil – and wonder “Where is God in all this?  Why would He tolerate the oppression, injustice, and wickedness?”

Perhaps our perspective is as skewed as Habakkuk’s was.  God promises to take care of evil in due time (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19), but He doesn’t promise heavenly-perfect lives right now, either.

I think Monsabre’s perspective on this tension is the best one to take:
“If God would concede me His omnipotence for 24 hours, you would see how many changes I would make in the world. But if He gave me His wisdom too, I would leave things as they are.”

Keep Pressing,
Ken

That's a lot of trouble

In this series, we’re walking with a prophet that is little-known to most of us modern-day Christians.  Habakkuk lived in the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah, just before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem.  However, where the writings of most other Old Testament prophets were about God’s message to the people, what we find unique about the book of Habakkuk is that the prophet records his conversation with God on behalf of the people.

Initially, we heard Habakkuk confront God about the selfish, even down-right evil, actions his fellow countrymen were committing.  He was struggling to understand why God hadn’t stepped in to address the troubles in Judah.  Then, we read God’s response – He is planning on punishing/correcting Judah by allowing the Chaldeans (aka the Babylonians) to invade Judah.  Next, we looked at how Habakkuk dealt with his frustration and shock over God’s plan.  And last time, we learned how those who were living according to God’s design would survive the Chaldean invasion.

But now…God answers Habakkuk’s concerns that a sinful nation will be used to punish God’s derelict people.  Habakkuk was upset that a wicked people would prevail over God’s chosen people.  I mean…they might be misbehaving, but they’re still God’s people…and that has to count for something, right?  Habakkuk was upset that their enemy would profit at Judah’s expense. 

God replies with five “Woe” Oracles against the Chaldeans.  A Woe Oracle is a distinctive type of prophetic speech designed to express deeply held emotions of anger, grief, and fear.  The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea all pronounce “Woes” on various groups for the anti-God choices they make.  Each “Woe” God announces in the book of Habakkuk is an indictment of Chaldean society and includes (often graphically) how their evil choices will come back to destroy them.  Here are the five Woes which God declares.  Notice how each “Woe” is them moving further and further from God’s design for humanity:

Habakkuk 2:6, 9, 12, 15, 18-19
Woe to him who amasses what is not his…and loads himself with goods taken in pledge [i.e. – loans or debt].

Woe to him who dishonestly makes wealth for his house, to place his nest on high

Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice!

Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink, pouring out your wrath and even making them drunk, in order to look at their nakedness!

What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carves it? 
It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies.
For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes worthless idols that cannot speak.
Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up! or to stone: Come alive!
Can it teach? 
Look! It may be plated with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.

Read the whole section of Habakkuk 2:6-19 to see how each of these “Woes” will bring punishment back on the Chaldeans.  For us, however, we shouldn’t just gloss over these accusations.  Resist the urge to scoff at the Chaldeans’ reliance on a carved idol which they expected to give them guidance and fulfillment.

Because, honestly…we do the same thing with our smart phones.

Looking at their increasingly self-centered actions, we can see the slippery slope that is open to everyone – both individually and as a society. 

These actions would be the Chaldeans’ undoing.  It’s best we heed their negative example before we experience the same consequences.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

God’s “Pro Tip”

In this series, we’re walking with a prophet that is little-known to most of us modern-day Christians.  Habakkuk lived in the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah, just before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem.  However, where the writings of most other Old Testament prophets were about God’s message to the people, what we find unique about the book of Habakkuk is that the prophet records his conversation with God on behalf of the people.

Initially, we heard Habakkuk confront God about the selfish, even down-right evil, actions his fellow countrymen were committing.  He was struggling to understand why God hadn’t stepped in to address the troubles in Judah.  Then, we read God’s response – He is planning on punishing/correcting Judah by allowing the Chaldeans (aka the Babylonians) to invade Judah.  Last time, we looked at how Habakkuk dealt with his frustration and shock over God’s plan.

This was God’s reply:

Habakkuk 2:2-4
The Lord answered me:

Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it.
For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
it testifies about the end and will not lie.
Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.

Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity.
But the righteous one will live by his faith.

While the Babylonian oppressors are advancing to plunder and punish Judah, God is not blind to their inflated ego and lack of integrity.  In the following verses, God lays out five “Woes” to the Babylonians – five ways that their own transgressions will be their undoing.

For now, we need to stop here and recognize a significant truth in God’s reply. A “Pro Tip” is a useful piece of advice offered up by someone in the know. This is the “Pro Tip” God shares with Habakkuk:

But the righteous one will live by his faith.

Although Habakkuk protested at portion of the plan God revealed to him, God has set the course for history to follow.  However, He has not abandoned the Jews.  Their path through these upcoming troubled times will be to live by faith. 

To live by faith isn’t a simple phrase to make us feel warm and fuzzy when things get hard so we can go blindly ahead, telling ourselves everything will be ok.  Instead, living by faith is a confident trust in God to do what He has promised to do, despite the circumstances that come our way.  And if we haven’t seen God fulfill a particular promise yet, then living by faith is trusting His character that He will come through at a future moment in time.

This quote from God to Habakkuk echoes throughout the New Testament, as well.  Three times, it is quoted (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38).  All of the New Testament references are to trusting God to fulfill His promises when we are incapable of rescuing ourselves from our present circumstances.  The author of Hebrews continues in chapter 11, listing out Old Testament heroes who lived in difficult times but overcame by living a by faith lifestyle.  They were not defeated by hardship or difficulty because they trusted God to do what He said He would do.

So, even though Habakkuk and the nation of Judah was staring down the barrel of circumstances they did not want, God still shows them the way to live.  As evidence by the New Testament authors’ use of Habakkuk 2:4, that option is available to us, as well.

Are you, right now, living by faith?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Asking God tough questions

In this series, we’re walking with a prophet that is little-known to most of us modern-day Christians.  Habakkuk lived in the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah, just before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem.  However, where the writings of most other Old Testament prophets were about God’s message to the people, what we find unique about the book of Habakkuk is that the prophet records his conversation with God on behalf of the people.

Initially, we heard Habakkuk confront God about the selfish, even down-right evil, actions his fellow countrymen were committing.  He was struggling to understand why God hadn’t stepped in to address the troubles in Judah.  Last time, we read God’s response – He is planning on punishing/correcting Judah by allowing the Chaldeans (aka the Babylonians) to invade Judah.

Here is Habakkuk’s response to God’s revelation:

Habakkuk 1:12-13
Are You not from eternity, Lord my God?
My Holy One, You will not die.
Lord, You appointed them to execute judgment;
my Rock, You destined them to punish us.
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil,
and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous?
Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up
one who is more righteous than himself?

You can feel Habakkuk’s bewilderment in his response – Lord, you know everything…and yet, You are choosing THEM to bring correction on Your people?  THEY are worse than WE are!

God is aware of who the Chaldeans are and their deserved reputation for violence and cruelty.  However, Habakkuk continues, reminding God of their arrogant conquests:

Habakkuk 1:14-17
You have made mankind like the fish of the sea,
like marine creatures that have no ruler.
The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,
catch them in their dragnet,
and gather them in their fishing net;
that is why they are glad and rejoice.

That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet
and burn incense to their fishing net,
for by these things their portion is rich
and their food plentiful.
Will they therefore empty their net
and continually slaughter nations without mercy?

Habakkuk’s tone has shifted from bewilderment to a nervous urgency.  God, if You’re sending THEM as Judah’s reprimand, then they will pillage us without mercy.

Habakkuk has made his case before God as to why he thinks God’s plan is a bad idea.  Rather than belaboring the point, Habakkuk makes an interesting, intentional choice – he chooses to wait.

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower.
I will watch to see what He will say to me
and what He will reply about my complaint.

Habakkuk has such great confidence in the Lord, that he is willing to wait for a reply.  He does not demand an immediate answer – like many of us do with our own questions and concerns.  Instead, Habakkuk pauses the conversation. 

It’s important to note that Habakkuk’s waiting isn’t idle.  He didn’t shut down and quit on everything else in life while he waited for God’s response.  No, he is waiting expectantly, trusting that the God he serves will have an answer.  In the meantime, though, Habakkuk will continue to stand guard in his responsibilities and watch for God’s response.

That is our example – we can ask God the hard questions, bringing our bewilderment and concerns to God…but we also need to respect His timing in how and when He chooses to answer us.  We should not act like doubtful, bratty children who stomp their feet and expect God to do what we want.  Instead, God desires for us to reason with Him and look for how He ultimately responds.  Maturity doesn’t mean we stop asking questions…being mature is trusting God with however He chooses to respond.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

That wasn't the answer he expected

In this series, we’re walking with a prophet that is little-known to most of us modern-day Christians.  Habakkuk lived in the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah, just before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem.  However, where the writings of most other Old Testament prophets were about God’s message to the people, what we find unique about the book of Habakkuk is that the prophet records his conversation with God on behalf of the people.

Last time, we heard Habakkuk confront God about the selfish, even down-right evil, actions his fellow countrymen were committing.  He was struggling to understand why God hadn’t stepped in to address the troubles in Judah.

God did reply – but His response certainly wasn’t the solution Habakkuk was looking for:

Habakkuk 1:6-11
Look!  I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter impetuous nation that marches across the earth’s open spaces to seize territories not its own. 
They are fierce and terrifying; their views of justice and sovereignty stem from themselves. 
Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. 
Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from distant lands. 
They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.

All of them come to do violence; their faces are set in determination.
They gather prisoners like sand.
They mock kings, and rulers are a joke to them.
They laugh at every fortress and build siege ramps to capture it.
Then they sweep by like the wind and pass through.
They are wind; their strength is their god.

The Chaldeans are not who Habakkuk was expecting when he petitioned God for a “rescuer” for his people.  In fact, these pagan foreigners are the complete opposite of who Habakkuk expected.

In Habakkuk’s situation, he asked for help…but God told him it’s going to get worse before it gets better.  This was necessary, even though it would be painful.

When looking back in our own lives, we often thank God for “unanswered prayers”, when we asked for blessings that we ultimately did not receive.  We thought the best thing for us would be to get “that job” we had applied for, or we wanted a romantic relationship with a specific person, or even safety when traveling.  Because if God had fulfilled our request and we had received what we wanted in the moment…life would have been so different that the relationships and blessings we have now would not have been experienced.

But sometimes, God’s answer to our requests is more than just a “No”.  Other times, He does allow the car accident, the cancer diagnosis, or other difficult situations to occur.  But if we’re honest, the motivation behind many our prayer requests has more to do with our immediate comfort than with our connectedness with God.

And that’s the bigger picture – both for us and for Habakkuk – going through hard times has the ability to strip away our selfishness and self-centeredness that keeps us from being who God made us to be.

If you’ve learned how to look into your past and thank God for what didn’t happen, the next step in maturity is to be able to thank God in the moment He denies our prayer request.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Why won’t God step in?

Have you found yourself frustrated with the direction the world is going lately?
Does it feel like God is allowing more evil activities to occur than you think He should?
Does it seem like justice isn’t falling on those who should really be receiving correction?

If you said ‘yes’ to any (or all) of these questions, then you can probably relate to the prophet Habakkuk.

Habakkuk lived in the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah, just before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem.  However, where most other prophet’s writings were about God’s message to the people, what we find unique about the book of Habakkuk is that the prophet records his conversation with God on behalf of the people.

And Habakkuk was really struggling with what he saw going on in the world.

From the start, you can tell this isn’t the first time Habakkuk has brought his frustrations to God.

Habakkuk 1:2-4
How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen
or cry out to You about violence and You do not save?
Why do You force me to look at injustice?
Why do You tolerate wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.

This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous;
therefore, justice comes out perverted.

Can you feel his frustration with society?

Do you hear the anguish in Habakkuk’s voice as he, yet again, points out injustice to God?

The Jews were oppressing their fellow countrymen, committing violence against their neighbors…without any real correction or indication that their behavior would ever stop.  In fact, Habakkuk points out the opposite: strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.  There is no end in sight for the depravity they are living in.

Habakkuk even goes so far as to say that God’s law – the 10 Commandments and following decrees – is ineffective.  When wicked people are in charge, justice is perverted.  Habakkuk just wants to know: Why are you allowing all this evil to go unchecked in the nation of Judah?

Here is God’s response:

Habakkuk 1:5
Look at the nations and observe – be utterly astounded!
For I am doing something in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it.

The first thing God tells Habakkuk is that his view is too small.  From his vantage point, Habakkuk cannot see the larger picture of history that God is operating in.  Where the prophet is focusing on his immediate situation, God tells him to look at the nations and observe. 

What God is actually up to will blow Habakkuk’s mind…even to the point he won’t believe it when God clues him in. 

Does that mean God doesn’t care about our suffering?  Is He turning a blind-eye to the steady stream of injustice witnessed in society?  Is God not upset that “His laws” are trampled on by those in authority?

God cares about all those things…but His timetable and His plan for history may not line up with what we think He should do.  Look at the promise God made to the nation of Israel hundreds of years before Habakkuk was born:

Deuteronomy 32:35-36
Vengeance and retribution belong to Me.
In time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom will come quickly.
The Lord will indeed vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one is left – slave or free.

The people of Habakkuk’s day are still trying to do it themselves and make everything work via their own strength, rather than rely on God.  God’s justice will come, but society’s stubbornness has to run its course.

That’s our challenge, too.  Continue to live God’s way, even if evil and injustice persist in society around us.  God has a bigger picture in mind, one that includes justice at the right time.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

She knew who He was

At the end of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, God says this about when His coming Messiah arrives:

Malachi 4:2
But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.

We need to be aware that Hebrew word kanap, which is translated wings, can also refer to an edge or hem of a garment.  This alternate translation is used in several places throughout the Old Testament.

This verse is among the last words that God spoke to the nation of Israel before going silent for 400 years.  Then, after all that time, Jesus arrives on the scene.  He demonstrates His authority through various healing miracles and teaching unlike any the people had heard before.  As His fame grew, so did the number of people who came to Him with their various illnesses and maladies.  However, there’s one healing story that did not make a whole lot of sense to me, until recently:

Mark 5:25-29
Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years had endured much under many doctors.  She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all.  On the contrary, she became worse.  Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His clothing.  For she said, “If I just touch His clothes, I’ll be made well.”  Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

Her reasoning “If I just touch His clothes, I’ll be made well.” was the part I didn’t get.  I figured that’s kind of an odd thought, but it must have been ok since she was healed, right?

But read her account in light of the promise God made through the prophet Malachi – the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in His garments.  This wasn’t a crazy lady making stuff up about God and hoping for the best…this was a woman who, even after suffering for 12 years, knew God’s word and was clinging to His promises. 

She recognized Jesus as the Messiah – and because she knew the Scriptures, she boldly stepped forward to claim God’s promise for healing.  Even though she didn’t make a spectacle of her approach and she kept to herself in the crowd, her actions were still bold…she approached Jesus with confidence in who He was and what He was capable of.

Jesus recognized that someone who touched Him had been healed, and He stopped to see who it was.

Mark 5:32-33
But He was looking around to see who had done this.  The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth.

She was caught, so to speak.  But she acted with boldness again, even though she was scared.  As she told Him the whole truth, it would not surprise me if she had quoted God’s prophecy through Malachi.  Although the words she spoke were with fear and trembling, listen to the gentle, loving response from Jesus:

Mark 5:34
“Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has saved you.  Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.”

Her faith is what saved her from her affliction.  But what was it that she believed?  She believed that Jesus was the Messiah.  She believed God’s promises in the Scriptures.  Her trust in God was what delivered her.

So how about us?  Do we believe God’s promises?  We’re told that we, too, can approach Jesus with the same boldness of the woman in Mark 5.

Hebrews 4:16
Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

But…are we like the woman in Mark 5?  She knew who Jesus was because she knew God’s word.  Do we know God’s promises given for us in the Scriptures?  Faith in who Jesus is will give us the boldness to seek Him in our time of need.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

God’s incomplete story

It must have been tough being one of God’s prophets in ancient Israel.  You know that you are commissioned for an incredible work – speaking on behalf of the Creator of the Universe, and delivering His messages to humanity.  However, it is not an easy task.  Oftentimes, the people don’t want to hear what you have to say.  Many don’t want to be called out of their self-focused, sinful lifestyles.  Sometimes, the prophet had to deliver a message of punishment for Israel…and who among us likes being the bearer of bad news?

Like many other prophets, Elijah had threats on his life, even coming from the current king and queen.  Later on, Isaiah was commissioned by God to tell Israel that national punishment was coming.  When he asked God how long he should preach this message, God replied, “until the land is ruined and desolate” (Isaiah 6:11).  Not exactly a crowd-pleasing message to share.

But staying silent wasn’t an option, either.  Jeremiah was another prophet who foretold the destruction of Judah.  Here’s what he had to say about not wanting to preach any more “bad news”:

Jeremiah 20:9
I say, “I won’t mention Him or speak any longer in His name.”
But His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones.
I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

We also have to consider that the prophets didn’t necessarily understand the full implication of God’s message.  After all, they were simply the messenger, not the originator.  In many instances, they were delivering prophecies for the people of their day, but they also often spoke of a coming Messiah…and God did not give them all the details about the salvation His Messiah would bring.  Peter also brings up this point in one of his letters:

1 Peter 1:10-12
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated.  They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.  It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you.

The Old Testament prophets did their best to discover God’s plan for the Messiah, but ultimately, they were not given the full picture.  Instead, they learned that their messages and efforts were meant to serve others…and not just their own curiosities.  Although they did not get the “full story” during their lifetime, God did give them enough information so they could do the work He had for them.

The Apostle John acknowledged being in a similar situation when he wrote his gospel message:

John 20:30-31
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book.  But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

There were lots of things John could have written about, including many signs that Jesus performed before ascending into heaven.  Those would have been really interesting to read about, I’m sure!  However, John selected specific stories from Jesus’ life that were all aimed at one purpose, the main thing John (and God) wanted us to know: so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. 

There is a parallel here between the Old Testament prophets and us modern believers.  We don’t have the full story of how and when God will move through history.  We don’t get to know the date when Jesus will return.  But there is still work to do.

Thankfully, the Old Testament prophets pressed on and did the hard work of delivering God’s message.  Many of them are commended in “God’s Hall of Fame” and you can read what God had to say about them in Hebrews 11.  We, too, can press on, sharing the message of the gospel to the people around us.  God will also commend and reward those who do the work He has for us now. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Does God play favorites?

If a kid has siblings, at some point they are going to wonder which kid their parents like the most.  With some parents, it’s painfully obvious that they favor one child over another.  At the other end of the spectrum are parents who express love to their children equally.  However, since we all receive love differently (see: love languages), there is a possibility that children can interpret a parent’s expression of love to a sibling as favoritism.

The same dynamic can play out in other settings when there is an authority person over a group.  Work, sports teams, and social clubs are all examples of places where favoritism can show up.  And if you’ve read even a chapter or two of the gospel accounts, you’ll notice that the disciples are constantly angling to be considered Jesus’ “right-hand man”.

Out of the 12 disciples, Jesus did have an inner circle made up of Peter, James, and John.  However, even among those three, you can find some jostling for position.  While you might assume this kind of posturing only took place early on in the ministry, you would be wrong.  Even after Jesus’ resurrection, we see expressions of concern about positions and favorites.

The setting for this particular scene is a familiar one – Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times during the night Jesus was arrested.  After the resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with the disciples.  During that time, He had a specific conversation with Peter, restoring him three times and re-commissioning him as a leader.  Towards the end of their conversation, Jesus tells Peter this:

John 21:18-19
“Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted.  But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”

He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God.  After saying this, He told him, “Follow Me.”

On the one hand, Jesus gave Peter some good news – he’s going to live to the point that he has grown old.  But then there’s also bad news – Jesus is indicating that Peter’s death will be via crucifixion, as to stretch out your hands was a common euphemism for someone dying on a cross.  Although He just gave Peter an incredible foresight into his future, Jesus then brought his attention back to the present with His command of “Follow Me”.

However, Peter’s attention did drift elsewhere:

John 21:20-21
So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray You?”  When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

John was the youngest disciple, and he seemed to have a special “in” with Jesus…after all, he was the one to ask such a direct question to Jesus during the Last Supper.  In fact, it was Peter who put John up to asking the question in the first place.  Peter didn’t have the confidence that he could ask such a question…but thought John could.

You can almost hear the thoughts of Peter in this moment…Oh, so I’m going to die violently.  I wonder if Jesus’ “favorite” will face the same pain?  How fair is this going to be?

That’s always our hang up, isn’t it?  If we’re going down, we want to know how many others are going to suffer with us.  And…if someone else isn’t going to suffer like us…then we want to know WHY.

However, Jesus didn’t answer Peter’s question.  Instead, He said:

John 21:22
“If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you?  As for you, follow Me.”

Jesus wasn’t obligated to answer Peter’s question.  Peter is not the one to determine if God’s plan for another person’s life is acceptable.  Peter doesn’t get to judge Jesus’ actions, looking for favoritism.  I love the blunt question, “What is that to you?”.  Peter’s focus needs to be on his own walk with God, and not on anyone else.

So, when we get full of ourselves or down on God because someone else has been blessed in ways that we haven’t, or we think that our struggles are unfair compared to the lives of other believers, I hope Jesus’ question to Peter rings in our ears:

What is that to you?  As for you, follow Me.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

You don’t get to know everything

I just wish God would tell me what He’s up to!

Sound familiar?

Usually by the time this phrase makes it past our lips, we’ve had some frustrated feelings simmering for a while.  Maybe it’s difficulty at work.  Maybe your family isn’t acting like a family.  Maybe you’ve hit every red light for the past week.  Maybe you’ve been hit by several expenses within a short amount of time.  Maybe political leaders are leading their nation where you don’t want it to go.  Whatever it is, it’s not something you’ve expected…let alone something you can see a way out of.

So, what do we typically do when we don’t understand what’s happening in the world?  We eventually allow our feelings to boil over, and we vent our frustrations to God.  But what are we really saying here?  We’re subtly accusing Him of holding out on us.

Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to sting so much…but it does sting, doesn’t it?

I just wish God would tell me what He’s up to!

Do you see that statement for what it really is?  We’re certain that we would understand our current problems if God would justify His reasoning to us.

We’re acting as if God should be accountable to us and our preferences for how we think our lives should go.

Nowhere in Scripture does God promise to give us all the details or to justify His decisions.  In fact, He tells us to expect the opposite:

Isaiah 55:8-11
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not My ways.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.

“For as heaven is higher than earth,
so My ways are higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts.

For just as rain and snow fall from heaven
and do not return there
without saturating the earth
and making it germinate and sprout,
and providing seed to sow
and food to eat,
so My word that comes from My mouth
will not return to Me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please
and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

And then there’s us…shaking a frustrated fist and trying to tell God – the inventor of the water cycle(!), which sustains all life on earth – that He’s doing stuff wrong. 

We’re comically small sometimes.  Small-minded.  Small-focused.  Small-faith.

So, what should we do when our frustrations build and we don’t understand the world around us?  The answer is in the two verses preceding the passage above:

Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the Lord while He may be found;
call to Him while He is near.
Let the wicked one abandon his way
and let the sinful one his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord,
so He may have compassion on him,
and to our God for He will freely forgive.

We are small, but God doesn’t abandon us to our smallness.  If we turn to Him, seeking His way instead of insisting on our own way, He will respond with compassion and forgiveness.

And, if we’re honest…we want to receive compassion and forgiveness more than we want answers and explanations.  So, seek the Lord.  Let Him handle the rest.

Keep Pressing,
Ken