Through the Bible in 66 Days - Habakkuk

 

When God Seems Silent: Habakkuk, the Gospel, and the God Who Saves

Most Christians know what it feels like to pray, wait, and wonder why God doesn’t seem to act. The prophet Habakkuk understood this deeply. His short book opens with a cry that many believers have echoed: “How long shall I cry for help?” Habakkuk saw “evil, destruction, violence, strife and contention.” That world feels very much like ours.

Yet Habakkuk’s journey—from confusion to confidence—beautifully mirrors the truth of the gospel itself. His prophecy is not just an ancient complaint; it is a doorway into the good news of Jesus Christ.

1. The Burden of a Broken World (Habakkuk 1:1–4)

Habakkuk begins with a “burden”—a weight he carries as he looks at the injustice around him. He asks why God allows violence and why justice seems distorted. His honesty is refreshing. The Bible never asks us to pretend everything is fine.

The New Testament affirms this same realism. Paul writes, “The whole creation has been groaning” (Romans 8:22). The world is not as it should be. Sin has fractured everything—our hearts, our relationships, our societies.

The gospel begins here: with the acknowledgement that we cannot fix ourselves or our world.

GQ's list of 21 Books you don't have to read - they got at least one wrong!

Many years ago GQ magazine placed the Bible on its list of "21 Books You Don't Have to Read." This is quite a ridiculous stance even in terms of literature never mind ethics and morals. 

Here are some quotes from famous people about the Bible - they are not all Christians but they testify to the value of reading the Bible:

Peace in our times

 

Politicians and religious leaders spend a lot of time and effort attempting to bring 'peace in our times'. Lasting peace is elusive and impossible purely by human effort and ingenuity. Most people fail to see that if they don't deal with the underlying causes of unrest, the problem will never be identified, and peace will never be created.

Our approach to producing peace often fails to dig deep enough. Jeremiah, the ancient prophet of Israel, faced this shallow approach to peace. He wrote on more than one occasion, 'Peace, peace when there is no peace?' Jer 6.14, Jer 8.11. People then, as in our day, were looking at life in a very superficial way. They had treated the word of God with contempt by ignoring what it said. The reason there was no peace was the sinful lifestyles of people. The same is true today. We cannot expect to have peace when we break the moral code of God (as nations, families and individuals) and flagrantly ignore the principles that are for our good. Scripture says, 'Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people,' Prov. 14. 34.

Self Deception - an interesting tale!

 

All photos courtesy of Storyblocks

Have you heard the story of the bank robber named McArthur Wheeler in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who was told that if he rubbed lemon juice on his face, he wouldn’t need to use a mask to avoid detection because his face would be invisible to the cameras? This is not a joke; it’s true! He bought a Polaroid camera and a couple of lemons, squeezed them and applied the juice to his face. He then pointed the camera at his face and clicked, rotated the camera and clicked. He finished up with a photo of the ceiling but no image of his face, and he fully believed that the lemon juice did the trick.

Are you open-minded?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

If you read my blog regularly, you will know that I write to help people look beyond their present circumstances and think about the big questions about human existence. My advice and thoughts are all from the Bible. You may think that this is narrow-minded and restrictive, but I have discovered that God’s word, the Bible, ‘is truth’, and in reality, it has opened my mind more than it has ever closed it.

But please, don’t just take my word for it. See for yourself whether it makes sense. I believe that the Bible is not a book of theory but that it changes lives through faith in the author, God. The sacred writings, the Bible, state that they 'are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus,’ 2 Tim. 3. 15. Sadly, many people are afraid to read it because they don’t know what it is about or are anxious about the demands it might make on their lifestyle.
 
Think about it like this. What if everything you need for living this life and the next is in the Bible. At the end of the day, the only reason you will miss out is that you never got round to reading it and receiving the gift of life that was offered. Many people have been brainwashed into thinking that the Bible is irrelevant and outdated. As a Christian, I don’t believe that this is true.

I believe that the Bible is God’s message to humans. It reveals things that we could not have discovered through experience or investigation. Having said that, we need to be careful not to assume that the Bible is just a book of legendary tales that have been passed from generation to generation. The truthfulness of the Bible can be verified in many ways. History, archaeology, science, meteorology, and many other disciplines have all demonstrated that the Bible is a factually accurate book. Bear in mind that it was written when most of these areas of expertise were either in their infancy or were undefined disciplines. How did the Bible writers know that there were paths in the oceans, Psalm 8:8, or that all that is needed to sustain life is transported and regulated through blood, Leviticus 17:11? These are only two examples - there are many more! 

The information in the Bible about history, geography, health, the natural world, science, and medicine has to date always been proven to be accurate. This gives me the confidence to believe what it says when it talks about the beginning of life, the cause of evil, suffering and death and the provision that God has made for our individual salvation. Let me leave you with two sample texts – 
 
‘Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men,’ Romans 5:12.
 
‘But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,’ Romans 5:8.
 
In light of my comments, please read the Bible with an open mind. It was written ‘that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name,’ John 20:31.

What if the world stopped spinning?

 

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

How would you feel if your bins were not emptied and rubbish was lying in the street? Not so long ago, in Warrington (near where I live), that’s the way it was. Some refuse workers and street cleaners were on strike, probably for good reasons. However, it did expose many people to potential health hazards. 

 

A couple of years ago, I was going to Ballymena in Northern Ireland for a week. My planned route of travel took me through Liverpool John Lennon Airport. A few days before my departure date, I read on the web that some baggage handlers were on strike. On arrival at the airport, expecting long delays, I was delighted (very selfishly) to find out that the strike did not affect my flight. It did, however, inconvenience many people and cost the travelling public money in the long run, as employees had to be shipped in from Dublin and other places to do the striker's jobs. 

What if the death of Jesus was actually for you?

All Photos courtesy of Unsplash

8th May 2020 marked the seventy-fifth anniversary of ‘VE Day’, when World War Two ceased in Europe. It was a good day for the civilian people of that continent. All, whether on the winning or the losing side, were relieved that the bombing was over, that their loved ones who had gone off to fight and had survived would be returning home, and that the privations they had endured for years would begin to recede.

Self deception - this is an unbelievable story!

Have you heard the story of the bank robber named McArthur Wheeler in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who was told that if he rubbed lemon juice on his face, he wouldn’t need to use a mask to avoid detection, because his face would be invisible to the cameras? This is not a joke it’s true! He bought a Polaroid camera and a couple of lemons, squeezed them and applied the juice to his face. He then pointed the camera at his face and clicked, rotated the camera and clicked. What he finished up with was a photo of the ceiling but no image of his face and fully believed that the lemon juice did the trick.

So much can change in a minute!

 

Photograph - Jon Tyson - Unsplash 

Photograph - Malvestida Magazine - Unsplash

Photograph - Maks Styazhkin - Unsplash 

A lot can change in a minute. We all know the cliches about a week being a long time (in politics) and a lot can happen in a day but the truth is that life can change completely in less than a minute. 

For instance, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time something could happen that you never envisaged and it changes everything. I’ll never forget when eleven-year-old Rhys Jones from Liverpool was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He lived in a respectable home in a decent area of the city. His mum worked in our local Tesco Store and he was just an ordinary boy enjoying life, loving his football and playing out, as boys do. But on that sad day, he died in the crossfire between two rival gangs. But on the 22nd of August 2007, everything changed in a moment. His life was ended, his parents and family were devastated and his blood was on the hands of the young man who pulled the trigger and those who were involved in providing the weapon. 

A letter about Coronavirus

I received this letter today, I thought there was a lot insight in what the author said. Please read it and consider it carefully,

Kind regards, 

Stephen

Hi Stephen, As ever yesterday I was trying to finish my morning Bible reading on the Tube. Sadly in this secular society, contrary to the call of Jesus in Mark 8:38 to not be “ashamed of me or my words”, I always feel a little embarrassed to get the Bible out and be reading it in public. Well, not yesterday, not in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak. The new confidence I felt was pretty overwhelming.

Keep on reading!!

In Western culture, we almost take the ability to read for granted! Reading is such a basic requirement for life. 

The fact you understand what I am talking about in this article means that you can read! Essentially, it means that you can translate the squiggles and strokes on the page. If I am incapable of writing well or of expressing my ideas then you may read the words but have no idea what I'm trying to say. Therefore, reading with understanding is vital. 

Struggling to do what is right!

Mar 14:36  And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

Are you struggling to do something the Lord has asked you to do? Take a look at what the Lord Jesus did for you!

The Secret of Contentment!

When it is cold - we complain that the weather is terrible and wonder why we do not live in a hotter climate.

When it is hot - we wonder why we ever moaned and often find that the heat is more than we can cope with.

Are we ever content, I ask you?

The problem of contentment! It is great when you meet someone who is truly content and happy. Funnily enough contented people are often the ones who do not have a lot of this world's goods. They have found peace in spite of what they have, not because of what they have. Paul, one of the early bible preachers, had learned the secret of contentment. He said 'I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content,' Philippians 4:11. Contentment was not the result of good circumstances but despite the circumstances.

How about you and I; are we content? What do you think will make you happy and content? If your contentment is dependant on wealth you could well be disappointed! If good health is on your list: it might not work out. If good family relationships are important it could all go wrong! If however you understand that you are not this planet for your own satisfaction and happiness and realise that you were created to bring God glory, you will start to see where contentment and satisfaction in living start. You might find it strange but God says in the Bible that he created all things and they were created for his pleasure, Revelation 4:11. This is why people are most satisfied when they are serving and helping others others. Serving others is a method of serving God. The old fashioned service based economy was a bible based economy where the theme of life was serving others and this was a very satisfying way of living. Jesus'  life was service based. He went about doing good... He got down and washed his disciples feet when they were all debating who should be the greatest, John 13. It is recorded in the Book of the Acts that he said - 'it is more blessed to give than to receive,' Acts 20:35. 

Please do not confuse serving others with buying your way into God's favour and heaven. Good living and good works will not guarantee salvation - This fact is made very clear in the Bible. Ephesians 2:8-10 states 'For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them'.

Grace is the undeserved favour and kindness that God shows to us.

Faith is the trust we put in God's promise to forgive our wrongs and save our souls.

If you read verse nine of Ephesians 2 carefully it is very clear that becoming a believer and getting right with God is what God does for you when you confess your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse ten is teaching that people who believe are saved for the purpose of living good lives and doing good works.

Religion often puts the cart before the horse and teaches that doing good, being good, being religious and living a good life will ensure that you go to heaven. Whereas the Bible actually teaches that we have all sinned, our hearts are desperately wicked and that it took the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus to make salvation available to us. 

In closing, Jesus Christ was content! He knew that he was facing certain death (in fact, he knew before he left heaven for earth, that he would be crucified) but he talked about his 'joy' being in his disciples (John 15:11) and his wish was for his disciples 'joy' to be full. That is what he wishes for you!

The Lord Jesus came into the world 'that we might have life' and the Bible expressly states that Jesus did not come to 'condemn the world' but 'that the world through him might be saved'.

Can I ask you a question? Do you know this type of contentment and joy? If not; you can do. For the Bible states that 'whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved'.

Why not bow your head and speak to God about it now!

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.