finishing well

When I went to Hawaii, we had a year-long bible reading schedule so that we would read the entire bible over our year in Hawaii. When I went to the Marshall Islands in the summer, I got behind. I moved back to Oregon....and never finished it. I stopped around the minor prophets - it seemed like they were saying the same thing over and over again!

A few days ago, I found my old SOAPs (Scripture, Observation, Application & Prayer) book. I only had a few books until I had read the whole bible. So, I decided to finish! A little late, but whatever. Yesterday, I read Zephaniah. Today, Haggai. It's crazy to think that by this time next week, I will have read all 66 books of the best-selling book in all of history. 

I wanted to write a little bit about Habakkuk, the subject of the first entry in my SOAP book since last October. Habakkuk begins his book with the lament we have all heard and asked ourselves, 'Where are you, God?' He talks about the injustice in the world - why does God allow it? Why does he put up with evil? 

These questions are littered throughout the Old Testament - Job is the main example. Why do the wicked prosper? I wouldn't say I myself am oppressed by evil men. I'm blessed by the people in my live. I can think of men and women (whom I don't know) who will do anything for profit - they'll exploit others. I think of nations who ravage other nations for resources, for power, for money. Although I am notbeing oppressed directly, when other believers are oppressed, I can cry out. I can cry out these same words for the rape victim in Uganda and the sweatshop worker in Thailand and the persecuted missionary in Chile. We're one body. 

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." ~1 Corinthians 12:12-13

Interestingly, I think the Lord hears the cry of his people, those who follow him, not any other gods (I don't just think this, but the bible backs me up - Proverbs 28:9, Isaiah 59:2). This does present problems for places where people are oppressed and they believe and worship other gods. But what about when Moses cries out for the people of Israel (Exodus 32:9-14)? Because of his prayer, the Israelites, those worshiping the golden calf, were spared. There's power in this type of prayer, huh?

Back in Habakkuk, the Lord responds to Habakkuk's questions. He promises justice. He promises that the wicked will meet his end. And Habakkuk ends with this:

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." ~Habakkuk 3:17-19

I rewrote these verses for the prayer of my SOAPs. 

Though this world is enslaved to the ways of sin, though Satan has a good grip on us, though men and women will do anything for profit, though human beings are being exploited by other human beings, though people use the name of our Lord for evil, though my body is less than half of what it used to be, though little makes sense, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior! The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights!