Becky Austin

Wait For It (Habakkuk 1-3)

11:42 PM


The book of Habakkuk is a short 3 chapter book but very unique.  It allows us to be privy to an ongoing conversation between God and his faithful servant Habakkuk. Habakkuk describes to us a very low time for Judah. He referenced the time of the Babylonian invasion and it is believed that “Habakkuk likely prophesied in the first five years of Jehoiakim’s reign (609–598 BC) to a king who led his people into evil. (Charles Swindoll).” Habakkuk was a very frustrated prophet who cried out to God because He couldn’t see God at work.

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?  Or cry to you, “Violence” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?” (1:2-3)
Have you ever had such a conversation with God?  Have you ever felt like God was just ignoring evil and not responding to prayer, not giving any guidance or answers?

“So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth perverted.” (1:4)
Habakkuk wanted to know when justice would prevail.  He was trying to understand what was God up to?

And God answered him:
“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” (1:5)

Wow! What a response. God basically said:  Don’t worry, Habakkuk.  I’ve got this and what I’ve got planned is going to knock your socks off.
God explained that He wasn’t letting evil go unchecked.  He was at work even through the actions of those who did not acknowledge Him.

God is sovereign over ALL of the details which include being sovereign over even the plans of evildoers. Joseph had a good grasp on this when he said to his brothers who plotted harm against him “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good… (Genesis 50:20)

God’s message to Habakkuk and to us today is to wait for His perfect timing.
"For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end -it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. (2:3)

God said in 2:4 “the righteous shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk was a man of faith.  He shows us by example how to live out that faith.
1. Take it to the Lord in prayer and wait diligently for His answer.
 “I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower and look out to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. (2:1)”
2. He didn’t take matters into his own hands but waited for God to intervene.
“Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. (2:16)”
3. He reflected upon God’s character and what God had done before. He made a choice to trust God and not the circumstances.  Even in the midst of difficult circumstances, Habakkuk chose to focus on all that He had in God.
"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (3:18)”
4. He trusted in God to help him meet the challenges of difficult circumstances.  He clung to God as the source of his strength.
“God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places.” (3:19)

This little book of Habakkuk is such a jewel. It’s as if God knew that there would be those times in every believer’s life when they would struggle with feeling like God was not there and they would despair.
God wanted us to know that:
-Even when he seems distant, He is near.
-Even when He seems silent, He hears our prayer.
-Even when he seems indifferent, He cares.

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Do you yearn to experience more of the love of Jesus in your life this fall? Come join our New Testament study with an eclectic group of women from around the world!

Together we'll read through the entire New Testament and grow to love our Lord & Savior even more! Trust in Him, and begin an adventure that will transform your life and maybe others as well!
Begins August 31st! on Women in the Word.

Becky Austin

2 Eagles and a Branch (Ezekiel 17-21)

11:23 PM



Ezekiel chapter 17 is an interesting chapter full of riddle and parable and most importantly- a beautiful picture of God’s sovereignty.

Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of a cedar.  He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. (17:3-4)
THE FIRST EAGLE:
The eagle in this story represents Babylon (and as we read in Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar was King of Babylon during this time).
Lebanon represents Israel and the topmost of the branch was Judah’s king, Jehoiachin.
The seeds and the vine represented the descendants of King Jehoiachin, and specifically Zedekiah.

Summary: The first eagle (Babylon) made an agreement with Zedekiah and then took important men of Israel into captivity as a method of keeping Zedekiah in check.

"And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, that he might water it." (17:7)
THE SECOND EAGLE:
The eagle in this story represents Egypt. Even though Nebuchadnezzar set up Zedekiah with favorable circumstances that would have allowed Israel to prosper as a tributary kingdom, Zedekiah decided he would not honor his oath of loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar.  He turned, instead to Egypt, hoping for an ally that would support him and aid him in his rebellion.
In the OT, an oath was a binding agreement. To violate an oath or covenant was considered an offense against God himself. God expected Zedekiah to honor his oaths (even to Nebuchadnezzar).  Because of Zedekiah’s treachery, God is angered and holds Zedekiah accountable for his actions.
“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke in Babylon he shall die. Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him…” (17:16-17)

Application: How important do we consider the agreements that we enter into with others.  Do we try to hedge around the fine print, or come up with excuses or compromises? Do we completely disregard what we have agreed to do? Do we realize that we represent God to a fallen world and we either honor or dishonor Him based on our words and actions?

THE BRANCH OF RESTORATION:
God remains sovereign in all the circumstances and all the failures of man.
Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out.  I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar.  And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches, birds of every sort will nest.” (17:22-23)

The “tender one” signifies Christ the Messiah.
“I will plant it” signifies that this is the work of God alone. God brings salvation to man.
“Birds of every sort” signifies the Church which will be comprised of Jews, Gentiles, representatives of every nation.

This chapter ends with a very important reminder of God’s total control over all circumstances.  "I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it."
No matter how powerful a nation may become or a leader exalt himself to be, God can destroy and snuff them out.  No matter how limited and depleted a nation or person may be, God can always control the circumstances and at any time, choose to exalt and raise them up for His purpose and glory.


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Do you yearn to experience more of the love of Jesus in your life this fall? Come join our New Testament study with an eclectic group of women from around the world!
Together we'll read through the entire New Testament and grow to love our Lord & Savior even more! Trust in Him, and begin an adventure that will transform your life and maybe others as well!
Begins August 31st! on Women in the Word. https://www.facebook.com/groups/558266364200270/?hc_location=ufi

God's Sovereignty

Let Me Tell You About My HOPE {Psalm 70-72}

1:30 PM


To hope is to cherish a desire with anticipation; to expect with confidence. 
 According to the Bible, hope can breathe new life into a wearied soul, while the lack of hope can drain the life right out of you! (Pr. 13:12) Hope holds that much power over us!


So let me ask you, what have you place your hope in?

__Some may say, eating right and exercising, and there’s proven benefits from that, but it still can’t guarantee us a long healthy life.

__Some may place their hope in money, investments, and a good education, which are also great things to have, but still can’t guarantee a perfect career or, life.

__Others may place their hope in other people -parents, spouse, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, etc. but we all know that not even OUR best intentions can guarantee that we will follow through with all we’ve promised, and neither can others.

I believe David got it right. We see here in Psalm 71 David is at the end of his life. Psalm 71 is actually the prayer of an old man who has walked with God his entire life:

In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.  Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel. For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.  From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you." (emphasis mime) 

David was a king who had everything; money, power. He was the commander of the army, yet it’s so comforting to know that from the beginning to the end of his life his hope never wavered in the “Sovereign Lord”.

Did you catch the name David calls God in these verses? In order to strengthen our hope, I went on a search to define this Name for God. I want to share what I found in an article written be Chip Ingram on the Biblical definition of sovereign:
There is absolutely nothing that happens in the universe that is outside of God’s influence and authority. As King of kings and Lord of lords, God has no limitations. Consider just a few of the claims the Bible makes about God:
·  God is above all things and before all things. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him (Revelation 21:6).
·  God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16).
·  God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens (Romans 11:33).
·  God can do all things and accomplish all things. Nothing is too difficult for Him, and He orchestrates and determines everything that is going to happen in your life, in my life, in America, and throughout the world. Whatever He wants to do in the universe, He does, for nothing is impossible with Him (Jeremiah 32:17).
·  God is in control of all things and rules over all things. He has power and authority over nature, earthly kings, history, angels, and demons. Even Satan himself has to ask God’s permission before he can act (Psalm 103:19).
·  That’s what being sovereign means. It means being the ultimate source of all power, authority, and everything that exists. Only God can make those claims; therefore, it’s God’s sovereignty that makes Him superior to all other gods and makes Him, and Him alone, worthy of worship.
Just as peasants always bowed before their king for fear of offending the one who had the authority to take their life, God’s sovereignty compels us to bow before Him. But unlike corrupt earthly kings who abuse their authority to terrorize their subjects, God rules in love. He loves you and wants the best for you.

And our hope can rest in Him. 

I think of Caleb and Joshua, coming back with the other 10 spies, who never waived in their hope that God would help them conquer the land He’d given them. And Hannah, who got up and ate after praying, for her hope that she would bear a children was in her Sovereign LORD, and even David as a boy up against Goliath.

I believe all of us have mountains, or giants before us, and an enemy who is constantly trying to keep us feeling defeated, but there is more than just your faith at stake here, which is why I LOVE this Psalm! Notice verses 14-18,
As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all.  I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.  Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.  Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. (emphasis mine)

Nothing builds greater HOPE than hearing the testimonies of those who have gone before us and witnessed God’s sovereignty in their situations! We’ve got to tell others what He has already done for us!

Blessings!

sue

Becky Austin

On The Throne (Psalms 9-12)

3:24 AM



Life is not fair!  In fact, it may often seem that the wicked prosper while Christians suffer. In these Psalms, however, David teaches us to not lose sight of the bigger picture.  He wants us to remember that no matter how perplexing circumstances may seem in the moment, God is still on His throne and justice will prevail.
“But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.”
(Psalms 9:7-8)

When you observe the world around you, it appears that most people ignore God and do not believe there will be any consequences for their sin. But God has not forgotten them and He will hold them accountable for their actions and choices in this life. 
“The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.”
(Psalms 11:4)

We are being tested by the Lord.  He is looking for the heart who trusts in Him, seeks relationship with Him and chooses to live a life that glorifies Him. He looks for the heart that trusts Him even when life is unfair and oppressive. 
“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”
(Psalms 9:9-10 )

David encourages us to stay focused on God and His righteousness.  What does God desire from us?   Devotion, dedication and celebration with our whole heart.
“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”
(Psalms 9:1-2 )
David also encourages us to pray and assures us that God listens. 
“O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear” (Psalms 10:17)

Life is not fair but God is righteous and fair. We are encouraged to trust in Him and wait patiently for His interventions. 
“For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.”(Psalms 9:18)

"The needy, and the poor, whose expectation is from the Lord, are never forgotten, though sometimes their deliverance is delayed for the greater confusion of their enemies, the greater manifestation of God's mercy, and the greater benefit to themselves." (Clarke)

God is sovereign.  Even though life does not seem fair, we have to remember that He rules over all and He will work ALL things for good.  He loves us and He watches over us.  He cares about all of our trials, hardships and the unfairness of life that we have to endure. He promises to be with us and He listens when we call to Him. He will strengthen us in adversity.  He will watch over us in the dark valleys.  He will guide us and teach us.  He will rule over this world and a day will come when sin and the unfairness that it causes will be no more.

God's Mercy

The Challenger Becomes The Challenged {Job 38:1-42:17}

12:00 AM


I don’t know about you, but the book of Job is one of the hardest for me to get through. It’s a book filled with suffering, unanswered questions, and a man seemingly punished because of the whim of the enemy. I too have experienced times in my life where like Job I cry out to God, “Why?” I demand to know His reasons behind what is happening in my life and challenge Him for answers. But like Job soon discovered, God is not One to be challenged. And the lesson to be learned is that He is sovereign in every and all aspect of our lives, and we need to trust that He knows exactly what He’s doing.

Chapter 38 begins with God speaking to Job, “out of the whirlwind and said, ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man and I will ask you, and you will instruct Me!’”(vs. 38:1:3) Could you just imagine? Waiting for God to respond and He comes back with this! Eugene Peterson simplifies God’s challenge, “Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about? Pull yourself together, Job! Up on your feet! Stand tall! I have some questions for you, and I want some straight answers!” And over the next few chapters God asks Job a series of questions that as a mere human, he can’t possibly answer.

In Isaiah 55:9 God declares, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” There is no way we can ever understand why God does what He does. And you know what? We don’t need to. All we need to do is obey His will even when we don’t comprehend or even agree with it. For there is only one Living God, and we aren’t Him. “He is the Creator, we are the Created. He is the Original, we are the image. He is our Friend, but not our peer.” (Dr. Charles Stanley) In verse 38:4 God asks Job, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me if you have understanding.” God is warning that if Job, or us for that matter, dare to question His dealings with us, we’d better be able to prove that we have the same knowledge and wisdom that He does. And of course, we don’t.

I don’t think that God minds us asking questions. After all He is the One who gave us an inquisitive nature. And there’s not a single Christian who at some time hasn’t had doubts or questions. It comes with being human. Instead I think God looks at the motive behind our questioning. In verse 40:2 God asks Job, “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?” When we cry out to God from a point of pain and truly wanting to know His will, He understands. Even Jesus Himself while nailed to the Cross cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46) What gets us into trouble is when from a prideful heart we question God or His authority because we think we know better, or have the audacity to presume that the God of the universe owes us an explanation.

In the end after his encounter with God, Job understands just how wrong he was and confesses, “I have heard of You by hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.” (vs. 42:5-6) And how does God respond? By blessing, “the latter days of Job more than his beginning.” (vs. 42:12)  Once again God shows that even in His sovereignty, He is loving, caring, and eager to bless our obedience. James 5:11 talks about Job this way, “You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.” 

As long as we are on the earth, we will all have to deal with suffering in our lives. So the next time you are knee deep in sorrow, remember that even though you may not understand the reason for your troubles, God does. And He will see you through to the other side. Because of this you, like Job can say, “Though He will slay me, I will hope in Him.” (Job 13:15)