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“Though”

Read: Habakkuk 3:17–19 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalms 81–83; Romans 11:19–36

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Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:18

In 2017, the opportunity to help people in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in the US prompted a group of us to travel to Houston. Our goal was to encourage people who’d been impacted by the storm. In the process, our own faith was challenged and strengthened as we stood with them in their damaged church buildings and homes.

The radiant faith exhibited by a number of these people in the wake of Harvey is what we see expressed by Habakkuk at the end of his seventh-century bc prophecy. The prophet predicted that tough times were on the way (1:5–2:1); things would get worse before they got better. The end of the prophecy finds him pondering the potential of earthly losses and the word though makes a threefold appearance: “Though the fig tree does not bud . . . ; though the olive crop fails . . . ; though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls” (3:17).

How do we position ourselves in the face of unimaginable losses such as the loss of health or employment, the death of a loved one, or a devastating natural disaster? Habakkuk’s “Ode for Tough Times” calls us to confident faith and trust in God, who is the source of salvation (v. 18), strength, and stability (v. 19) for yesterday, today, and forever. In the end, those who trust Him will never be disappointed.

How has God met your need during difficult times? How can you encourage others when they face a crisis?

Father, even when life is tough and uncertain, please keep my faith anchored in You, my source of salvation and strength.

To learn more about the prophet Habakkuk, visit christianuniversity.org/OT226.

INSIGHT

The book of Habakkuk is one of the twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament, given this label because of the comparatively shorter length of their prophetic works. Habakkuk’s short book contains only three chapters and is a dialogue between the prophet and God, organized around Habakkuk’s prayers or complaints and God’s answers. Because chapter 3 is bracketed by musical notations—(shigionoth, v. 1; “on my stringed instruments,” v. 19), it’s probable that the prophet may have been a Levite and a temple musician. Like other prophets, Habakkuk laments the wickedness of his time. Though Judah experienced a brief period of renewal under Josiah, the people had radically turned away from God under the wicked influence of kings Manasseh and Amon. In our passage today, Habakkuk affirms his trust in God no matter what (vv. 17–19).

Alyson Kieda

By |2019-08-09T16:01:45-04:00August 11th, 2019|
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The Power of Encouragement

Read: Acts 15:12–21 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalms 79–80; Romans 11:1–18

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The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done. Acts 15:12

When he was a young boy, Benjamin West attempted to draw a picture of his sister, but he succeeded only in making a mess. His mother saw his creation, kissed him on the head, and remarked, “Why, it’s Sally!” He would later say that it was that kiss that made him an artist—and the great American painter he would become. Encouragement is a powerful thing!

Like a child learning to paint, Paul didn’t have much credibility early on in his ministry, but Barnabas affirmed his calling. It was through Barnabas’s encouragement that the church accepted Saul as a fellow believer (Acts 9:27). Barnabas would also encourage the fledgling church of Antioch, helping it to become one of the most influential in the book of Acts (11:22–23). And it was through Barnabas’s encouragement, as well as Paul’s, that the Jerusalem church embraced the gentile believers as Christians (15:19). So, in many ways, the story of the early church is really a story of encouragement.

The same should apply to our own lives. We might think encouragement is merely saying something nice to someone. But if we think that way, we fail to recognize the lasting power it possesses. It’s one of the means by which God shapes our individual lives as well as the life of the church.

Let’s thank God for the moments we receive encouragement and strive to pass it along to others.

How has encouragement shaped your life story in some way? Who encouraged you, and how did they do it? How will you encourage someone in your life this week?

Father, help me encourage others as You have encouraged me.

INSIGHT

A little detail mentioned in Acts 15:12—“the whole assembly became silent”—is significant. A “sharp dispute and debate” had arisen (v. 2), with Paul and Barnabas on one side and certain believers on the other. These believers insisted that non-Jewish Christians had to adhere to Jewish law and be circumcised. The text tells us, “After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them” (v. 7). We can imagine how heated that discussion must have been, but Peter outlined a rational defense of the gentiles’ faith (v. 7). He noted how they too had the Holy Spirit, just as the Jewish believers did (v. 8). Peter added, “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we [Jewish believers] are saved, just as they [gentile believers] are” (v. 11). Peter’s calm response to the dispute, along with the testimony of Paul and Barnabas, preserved and enhanced unity in the church.

Tim Gustafson

By |2019-08-07T13:41:15-04:00August 10th, 2019|
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Indestructible Love

Read: Song of Songs 8:6–7 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalms 77–78; Romans 10

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Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. Song of Songs 8:7

When we first saw the stream in our backyard, it was just a thin vein of water trickling through a bed of rocks in the heat of the summer. Heavy wooden planks served as a bridge we could easily cross. Months later, torrents of rain pounded our area for several days in a row. Our tame little creek swelled into a quick-moving river four-feet deep and ten-feet wide! The force of this water heaved the bridgeboards up and deposited them several feet away.

Rushing water has the potential to overwhelm almost anything that stands in its path. Yet there’s something that’s indestructible in the face of a flood or other forces that might threaten to destroy it—love. “Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away” (Song of Songs 8:7). Love’s persistent strength and intensity is often present in romantic relationships, but it’s only fully expressed in the love God has for people through His Son, Jesus Christ.

When the things we consider to be sturdy and dependable are swept away, our disappointment can open the door to a new understanding of God’s love for us. His affection is higher and deeper and stronger and longer lasting than anything on earth. Whatever we face, we face with Him beside us—holding us up, helping us along, and reminding us that we’re loved.

How can you be sure God will always love you? What’s the outcome of God’s love in your life?

Heavenly Father, thank You for comforting me with Your love during times of rejection or loss. Help me to believe I can depend on You to meet every need in my soul.

INSIGHT

Over the centuries, the Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) has been a challenge to Bible scholars, resulting in a variety of interpretations of this unique portion of Scripture. Because of the intimacy of this inspired poetry, some Jewish scholars have read it as an allegory describing the relationship between God and Israel. As such, parts of Song of Solomon are read today at Passover—the spring feast celebrating God’s rescuing love for Israel. Some Christian scholars (beginning with early church father Origen) have understood it to be picturing Christ and the church. Today, some scholars see the Song more literally—celebrating the love shared by a husband and wife within the framework of marriage. It’s a mysterious book that celebrates the beauty of love.

Bill Crowder

By |2019-08-09T08:32:44-04:00August 9th, 2019|
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A Legacy of Faith

Read: 2 Timothy 1:5–14 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalms 74–76; Romans 9:16–33

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I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. 2 Timothy 1:5

Long before the decisive moment when Billy Graham came to faith in Christ at age sixteen, his parents’ devotion to Jesus was evident. They’d both come to faith while growing up within a family of believers. After their marriage, Billy’s parents continued that legacy by lovingly nurturing their children, including praying and reading Scripture and attending church faithfully with them. The solid foundation Graham’s parents laid for Billy was part of the soil God used to bring him to faith and, eventually, to his calling as a bold evangelist.

The apostle Paul’s young protégé Timothy also benefited from a strong spiritual foundation. Paul wrote, “Your sincere faith . . . first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice” (2 Timothy 1:5). This legacy helped prepare and steer Timothy’s heart toward faith in Christ.

Now Paul urged Timothy to carry on this faith tradition (v. 5), to “fan into flame the gift of God” within him through the Holy Spirit, who “gives us power” (vv. 6–7). Because of the power of the Spirit, Timothy could fearlessly live for the gospel (v. 8). A strong spiritual legacy doesn’t guarantee we’ll come to faith, but the example and mentoring of others can help prepare the way. And after we receive Jesus as Savior, the Spirit will guide us in service, in living for Him, and even in nurturing the faith of others.

Who or what did God use to help to lay the foundation for your faith? How can you help to do this in someone’s life today?

God, thank You for the believers who helped shape my faith. Help me to rely on Christ’s Spirit for the strength to boldly witness for You.

INSIGHT

Paul’s second New Testament letter to Timothy represents some of the apostle’s last recorded words. Imprisoned in Rome for preaching the gospel and declaring Jesus as Lord rather than Caesar, Paul believed his execution was near (2 Timothy 1:8, 11–12; 2:8–9; 4:6). Sensing his days were numbered, his words reflect his confidence in God, his care for the body of Christ, and his affections for a spiritual son—Timothy—who Paul described as a most trusted co-worker (Philippians 2:19–22).

Mart DeHaan

By |2019-08-02T13:29:26-04:00August 8th, 2019|
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Back in the Battle

Read: 2 Samuel 12:26–31 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalms 72–73; Romans 9:1–15

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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

As a child, she had hurled vicious words at her parents. Little did she know that those words would be her last interaction with them. Now, even after years of counseling, she can’t forgive herself. Guilt and regret paralyze her.

We all live with regrets—some of them quite terrible. But the Bible shows us a way through the guilt. Let’s look at one example.

There’s no sugarcoating what King David did. It was the time “when kings go off to war,” but “David remained in Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1). Away from the battle, he stole another man’s wife and tried to cover it up with murder (vv. 2–5, 14–15). God stopped David’s downward plunge (12:1–13), but the king would live the rest of his life with the knowledge of his sins.

While David was rising from the ashes, his general, Joab, was winning the battle David should have been leading (12:26). Joab challenged David, “Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it” (v. 28). David finally got back to his God-appointed place as the leader of his nation and his army (v. 29).

When we permit our past to crush us, in effect we’re telling God His grace isn’t enough. Regardless of what we’ve done, our Father extends His complete forgiveness to us. We can find, as David did, grace enough to get back in the battle.

What regrets gnaw at your soul? Who in your life might be a safe person to talk to for the reassurance of God’s grace?

Father, may we truly realize Your love defines us.

INSIGHT

The book of 2 Samuel appears to portray David’s exploitation of Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah as connected to his failures as a king. The account emphasizes David’s guilt and portrays Uriah and Bathsheba as victims of an abuse of power (2 Samuel 12:1–17). In addition, the narrative seems to connect David’s actions to his failure as king to lead his troops. Instead, David remains in the comforts of Jerusalem and sends Joab (11:1–2)—a practice Joab appears strongly critical of in 12:27–28. It’s only after finding out that Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah (11:3–4)—a member of the king’s trusted inner circle (23:24, 39)—that David sent for her, perhaps knowing that with her husband in battle she was defenseless. The king had been called to care for God’s people (5:12), but instead he used his power to abuse and betray. 

Monica Brands

By |2019-08-02T12:16:36-04:00August 7th, 2019|
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Will You Come Back?

Read: Hosea 3:1–5 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalms 70–71; Romans 8:22–39

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Love [your wife] as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods. Hosea 3:1

Ron and Nancy’s marriage was deteriorating rapidly. She had an affair, but after some time she admitted her sin to God. She knew what He wanted her to do, but it was difficult. She shared the truth with Ron. Instead of asking for a divorce, Ron chose to give Nancy a chance to win his trust back by showing that she’d changed. In a miraculous way God restored their marriage.

Ron’s actions are a picture of God’s love and forgiveness shown toward sinners like you and me. The prophet Hosea understood this well. He was commanded by God to marry an unfaithful woman as a way to show Israel their status of unfaithfulness before Him (Hosea 1). If that wasn’t heartbreaking enough, when Hosea’s wife left him, God told him to ask her to come back. He said, “Show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress” (3:1). After all their disobedience, God longed for a close relationship with His people. Just as Hosea loved his unfaithful wife, pursued her, and sacrificed for her, so God loved His people. His righteous anger and jealousy were motivated by His great love.

This same God longs for us today to be near Him. As we come to Him in faith, we can trust that in Him we will find complete fulfillment.

How will you respond to God’s love today? Is there someone you can share His great love with?
God in heaven, how great and amazing is Your love, even for a sinner like me! For all the wrong I’ve done, I don’t deserve Your love. Thank You for forgiving me, for buying me back, for restoring our relationship.

INSIGHT

Hosea 14:1 captures the theme of the book of Hosea, “Return, Israel, to the Lord your God.” This verse includes a key word of the book—return. Again and again in Hosea we see God, who is faithful and true to His covenant, calling unfaithful Israel to return to Him. The Hebrew word translated “return” (šûb, pronounced shoob) is a common Old Testament term. The verb form appears more than 1,050 times (the twelfth most frequently used verb in the Old Testament), and eighteen times in Hosea. The most theologically rich usages of it concern Israel’s turning to the Lord in repentance, as we see in Hosea 3:5: “Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king.”

Arthur Jackson

By |2019-07-30T12:21:22-04:00August 6th, 2019|
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Loaves and Fishes

Read: Matthew 14:13–21 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalms 68–69; Romans 8:1–21

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Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” Matthew 14:16

A young boy came home from church and announced with great excitement that the lesson had been about a boy who “loafed and fished all day.” He, of course, was thinking of the little boy who offered his loaves and fish to Jesus.

Jesus had been teaching the crowds all day, and the disciples suggested He send them into the village to buy bread. Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). The disciples were perplexed for there were more than 5,000 to be fed!

You may know the rest of the story: a boy gave his lunch—five small loaves of bread and two fish—and with it Jesus fed the crowd (vv. 13–21). One school of thought contends that the boy’s generosity simply moved others in the crowd to share their lunches, but Matthew clearly intends us to understand that this was a miracle, and the story appears in all four gospels.

What can we learn? Family, neighbors, friends, colleagues, and others stand around us in varying degrees of need. Should we send them away to those who are more capable than we are? Certainly, some people’s needs exceed our ability to help them, but not always. Whatever you have—a hug, a kind word, a listening ear, a brief prayer, some wisdom you’ve gathered—give it to Jesus and see what He can do.

What’s one need of another person that you may be able to meet? What can you give to Jesus to be used to bless others?
Jesus, give us eyes to see the ways we can care for others. Lead us and use us.

INSIGHT

Christ’s feeding of a multitude with the loaves and fishes is a miracle in which the Creator works beyond His creation. It’s the only miracle of Jesus (aside from His resurrection) that’s recorded in all four gospels (Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:33–44; Luke 9:12–17; John 6:1–14). While each gospel writer includes distinct details, John’s account focuses on two disciples—Andrew and Philip—that rarely appear in Matthew, Mark, and Luke (apart from the listing of disciples’ names). In John’s version, Jesus actually tests Philip by asking him how to provide food for the multitude (v. 5). Andrew is singled out as the one who offers a solution—albeit a radically insufficient one—by bringing to Jesus a boy with his lunch (vv. 8–9). What all four gospels are presenting, however, is that the small amount available was more than enough when placed in Christ’s hands.

Bill Crowder

By |2019-07-30T12:21:41-04:00August 5th, 2019|
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Ask the Man Who Owns One

Read: Psalm 66:1, 8–20 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalms 66–67; Romans 7

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Let me tell you what [God] has done for me. Psalm 66:16

In the early 1900s, the Packard Motor Car Company generated a slogan to entice buyers. “Ask the man who owns one” became a powerful tagline, one that contributed to the company’s reputation as manufacturing the dominant luxury vehicle in that era. What Packard seemed to understand is that personal testimony is compelling to the hearer: a friend’s satisfaction with a product is a powerful endorsement.

Sharing with others our personal experiences of God’s goodness to us also makes an impact. God invites us to declare our gratitude and joy not only to Him but also to those around us (Psalm 66:1). The psalmist eagerly shared in his song the forgiveness God granted him when he turned from his sins (vv. 18–20).

God has done amazing works in the course of history, such as parting the waters of the Red Sea (v. 6). He also does amazing work in each of our personal lives: giving us hope in the midst of suffering, giving us the Holy Spirit to understand His Word, and providing for our daily needs. When we share with others our personal experiences of God’s work in our lives, we’re giving something of much greater value than an endorsement of a particular purchase—we’re acknowledging God’s goodness and encouraging one another along the journey of life.

Who can you tell about God’s work in your life? What story can you share?

God, help me declare the many wonderful ways You’ve worked in my life!

INSIGHT

The psalmist writes pointedly about God’s direct role in the bad things that happened to His people (Psalm 66:10–12). This is in no way an accusation against God; rather, it’s an acknowledgment of His love. God had orchestrated those things in order to gain their attention. Without that intervention, they would have continued in their destructive behavior. But before the psalmist makes this point, he invites “all the earth” (v. 1) and “all peoples” (v. 8) to sing God’s praises. In other words, this songwriter is calling on the whole world to join him in praising the One worthy of all praise. God’s plan all along had been for His people to point all peoples to Him. 

Tim Gustafson

By |2019-07-29T13:37:09-04:00August 4th, 2019|
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For Love or Money

Read: Luke 19:1–10 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalms 63–65; Romans 6

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Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. Luke 12:15

Irish poet Oscar Wilde said, “When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is.” His comment was made tongue-in-cheek; he lived only to age forty-six, so he never truly was “old.” Wilde fully understood that life is not about money.

Money is temporary; it comes and it goes. So life must be about more than money and what it can buy. Jesus challenged the people of His generation—rich and poor alike—to a recalibrated value system. In Luke 12:15, Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” In our culture, where there’s an abiding focus on more and newer and better, there’s something to be said both for contentment and for perspective about how we view money and possessions.

Upon meeting Jesus, a rich young ruler went away sad because he had many possessions he didn’t want to give up (see Luke 18:18–25), but Zacchaeus the tax collector gave away much of what he’d spent his life acquiring (Luke 19:8). The difference is embracing the heart of Christ. In His grace, we can find a healthy perspective on the things we possess—so they don’t become the things that have us.

What can’t you live without? Why? Is it something that lasts forever, or just for a moment?

Father, give me Your wisdom that I might keep the things of life in the right perspective—and have a value system that reflects eternity.

Listen to “God and Money” at
discovertheword.org/series/god-and-money/.

INSIGHT

Zacchaeus, as a chief tax collector, was a wealthy man (Luke 19:2). In the New Testament, tax collectors were considered to be “sinners” (v. 7) and were largely disliked by society because many of them gained their wealth by cheating others. His offer to give half his possessions to the poor and repay those he’d cheated four times what he’d taken (v. 8) demonstrated his heart had truly changed. It showed what he was willing to give up for Jesus. Christ in turn honored Zacchaeus in front of the crowd by labeling him a “son of Abraham,” declaring salvation over him and his household (v. 9). Zacchaeus was lost, but he was sought out and saved by the Son of Man (v. 10).

Julie Schwab

By |2019-07-29T12:20:47-04:00August 3rd, 2019|
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From Trash to Treasure

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:5–7 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalms 60–62; Romans 5

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We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

The trash man’s house sits atop a steep street in a poor Bogota neighborhood. Not one thing about it looks special. Yet the unassuming abode in Colombia’s capital is home to a free library of 25,000 books—discarded literature that Jose Alberto Gutierrez collected to share with poor children in his community.

Local kids crowd into the house during weekend “library hours.” Prowling through every room, each packed with books, the children recognize the humble home as more than Señor Jose’s house—it’s a priceless treasury.

The same is true for every follower of Christ. We’re made of humble clay—marred by cracks and easily broken. But we’re entrusted by God as a home for His empowering Spirit, who enables us to carry the good news of Christ into a hurting, broken world. It’s a big job for ordinary, fragile people.

“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7), the apostle Paul told his congregation in the ancient city of Corinth. They were a cross section of people from across this region, so many might have been tempted to “go around preaching about [them]selves,” Paul said (v. 5 nlt).

Instead, Paul said, tell others about the priceless One living inside of us. It’s Him and His all-surpassing power that turns our ordinary lives into a priceless treasury.

What does it mean to you that you have a treasure, the Holy Spirit, inside you? How is it comforting to know that He enables us to share the good news?

Jesus, fill up my ordinary life with the power of Your Spirit.

INSIGHT

Paul’s writing style often consists of long sentences where it can be difficult to connect his initial point with his final one. In today’s passage, he writes about the blessing of God’s light shining in our hearts and states that He made that light shine (2 Corinthians 4:6). The purpose of God’s light shining is so we may see His glory in the face of Jesus. What is the light, and how does God make it shine in us? In this passage, Paul doesn’t elaborate on those specifics. In the preceding verse (v. 4), however, he says that the light is the light of the gospel. God reveals the gospel (the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus) to our hearts.

J.R. Hudberg

By |2019-07-26T13:46:19-04:00August 2nd, 2019|
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