Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4— In a world of adversity a righteous one lives by faith. Our Old Testament lesson brings up the perennial problem: Why? Why does God permit evil to thrive in the world? When a Christian cries for help in distress, why does he not get an immediate answer? Why doesn’t God do something about what Habakkuk experienced? – “violence,” “wrongs,” “trouble,” “destruction,” “strife and contention.” The answer received: Wait for the lord and He shall bring it to pass.
The righteous waits for God to make things right, to come to the
rescue because He has faith in God’s character. The world seems to be waiting
for God who never comes. Christians by faith know God is coming eventually to
save. We need faith to wait for God.
The Christian has at least one absolute. He believes
that God can be trusted. It is doubtful if any other person can be trusted. The
Christian learns that God is trustworthy from his own life’s experiences. In a
world where we no longer trust governmental leaders, and sometimes every church
leaders, corporations’ advertising, and even the loyalty of friends, we need to
be assured that God can be trusted. This was the lesson Habakkuk learned in our
Old Testament lesson for this coming week.
O God,
without whose blessing we are not able to please You, mercifully grant that
Your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and govern our hearts; through Jesus
Christ our Lord.[2]
Collect for Wednesday of the week of Pentecost 16: Grant, merciful Lord, to your faithful people pardon and peace that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[3]
[1]The Crucifixion Schnorr
von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and
congregational use
[2] Lutheran
Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[3]
Collect for Wednesday of the week of Pentecost 16, For All the Saints, A Prayer
Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity
Bureau, Delhi, NY
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