Episode 49: Habakkuk 2:14-20

11/03/19 • 5 min

Have you ever pulled into your parking spot at work or school and realized you can’t remember a single moment of the drive? When we see and do the same things every day, it’s easy to go into autopilot.

As our familiarity with our surroundings increases, our awareness of their specialness decreases. This is true, not just in our morning commutes, but in our spiritual lives as well. In Habakkuk 2:14, God describes a time when the earth will be shaken out of autopilot and filled with an awareness of His glory.

The world wasn’t lacking examples of God’s glory. God’s glory was all around Israel, just like it’s all around us. Everything we find beautiful in nature — from the mountains to the beach — was made by God and points to how magnificent He is. The problem was a lack of awe for the God who made everything they depended on.

Taking for granted the God who made the wood, the people started making their own gods. And while we don’t see a lot of wooden idols today, we aren’t that different from the people God was warning when He said, “How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk!” (Habakkuk 2:18).

When we allow anything other than God to capture our awe, we’ve made an idol. Idols aren’t just statues. Idols take all forms — the need for acceptance, the love of money, the identity we find in roles at work or at home.

Removing idols from our lives doesn’t have to take the destruction of nations. Rediscovering our awe starts with the choice to give God credit and honor for all that we are, all that we have and all that we can do.

No matter how many steps we’ve taken from God, He hasn’t moved. God is still in His holy temple displaying His glory (Habakkuk 2:20). We just have to stop long enough to see it.

Reflect:

Is there any area of your life where you’ve allowed yourself to become more captivated by something God created than by the Creator Himself? How has that affected your awareness of God’s presence around you?

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No matter how many steps we’ve taken from God, He hasn’t moved. God is still in His holy temple displaying His glory (Habakkuk 2:20). We just have to stop long enough to see it.

Reflect:

Is there any area of your life where you’ve allowed yourself to become more captivated by something God created than by the Creator Himself? How has that affected your awareness of God’s presence around you?

Support the show

Previous Episode

Episode 48: Habakkuk 2:4-14

You pull into the dump with your final load of trash. The cleanup was a success, and you are ready to bask in the neatness of your newly-organized garage. But as you leave, you notice the rusted remnants of a gas grill, decayed fragments of some outdoor furniture, and a tattered old couch among the dumpsters.

The piles of discarded goods provide a tangible reminder of the temporary nature of life on earth. Like us, Babylon lived in an age of prosperity and excess. People lusted after what was newer, bigger, and better. But none of what they built still stands.

In Habakkuk 2, God spoke through the prophet Habakkuk to warn Babylon that He was not pleased with their obsession with money and material possessions. Habakkuk chastises Babylon for the way they built their wealth. Their desires were not upright. They obtained their wealth through greed, arrogance, extortion, and bloodshed. Their house was built through unjust gain and filled with stolen goods.

Habakkuk warns the Babylonians that, like the worn out items at the dump, their earthly possessions will eventually decay. A life built on materialism will not last. But a life built around a relationship with Jesus will last into eternity.

“The righteous will live by faithfulness,” Habakkuk writes, and one day “... the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord” (Habakkuk 2:4 and Habakkuk 2:14).

On that day, we will all give an account for what we built our lives on. Like the nations of Habakkuk’s day, we have a choice: We can build our lives on a relationship with Jesus, or we can build our lives on acquiring stuff and making money. But only one will last into eternity.
Reflect:

Is there anything about your attitude to money and stuff that needs to change based on what you read today?

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Episode 50: Habakkuk 3

Too often, Christians believe everything should be easy because we are God’s people. But if you’ve followed Jesus for any length of time, you know that’s not always the case. Sometimes, things don’t go our way. And while it’s easy to turn our backs on God when life gets chaotic, Habakkuk shows us there is another way.

Habakkuk saw God unleash His wrath on the world. Confused and upset, he asked God the question we all want to ask: “Why?” Like Habakkuk, one of the best things we can do with our doubt is to present our questions to God and spend time with Him in prayer. In Habakkuk 3, the prophet is finishing a long conversation with God. He reflects on who God is, thanks God for His faithfulness and acknowledges that he can find joy in God’s presence, despite any tough circumstances.

Habakkuk’s response to his doubt gives us an example of how we can deal with doubt. First, recognize when we’re feeling doubt and understand why. Second, react by bringing our questions to God and praising Him in prayer. Third, remember how faithful God has been in our lives and the promises He’s made. Finally, choose to rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in Jesus our Savior!

Remembering who God is, His faithfulness in the past, and His promises for the future gives us the confidence to trust God with what's happening right now. We are still human. We still live in a sin-filled world filled with loss, hardships, doubt, stress, and fear. The difference when we face each day with Jesus is that we have the ability to experience joy, peace, love, and security even in hard times.

Reflect: