Author: David Short

Habakkuk 2:4

If any man should shrink back, My soul will not be well pleased in him; but the righteous shall live by My faith.

Personal Challenge

This verse is quoted by Paul when he is proclaiming that we are saved by God’s grace and not works. The works that Paul was referring to are the works that the Judaizers imposed on Gentiles in order to be proselytized, or in Pauls’ day, to become Christians. Clearly, the argument that Paul makes is that there is no work that we can do to earn God’s grace because then it would no longer be grace. It does not, however, preclude us from doing good works for our Lord out of our love and appreciation for Him and His grace bestowed upon us. This is how we live by His faith indwelling within us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Nahum 1:7

The Lord is merciful to those who wait on Him in the day of affliction, and He knows those who reverence Him.

Personal Challenge

God knows if our worship of Him is sincere. Do we just go through the motions of worship because it is what we have always done? Are we truly giving all reverence to Him or are we seeking an experience that makes us feel good? Do we choose to wait on Him at all costs believing that He will be merciful to us knowing that we do not deserve that mercy? God is merciful regardless of our behavior. He is worthy of worship and reverence no matter what we think or do. And through all this, He still loves us. Glory be to God!

Jonah 2:2-3

And from the belly of the sea creature, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God, and said:
“I cried out in my affliction to the Lord, my God,
And He heard my voice;
Out of the belly of Hades, You heard the cry of my voice.”

Encouraging Words

God is everywhere, even in the belly of Hades. He is in the midst of our trials and tribulations. He is in the midst of our joys. He is in the midst of our questionings and our understandings. There is no place or state that we can be in where He will not hear our voice when we call out to Him. And when He hears our voice, we are with Him. Glory be to God!

Joel 2:17-18

Between the porch and the altar, the priests of the altar, ministering to the Lord, will each be weeping and will say, “O Lord, spare Your people; do not give Your inheritance to reproach, that the Gentiles should rule over them, lest they should say among the Gentiles, ‘Where is their God?’ ”

But the Lord was zealous for His land and spared His people.

Encouraging Words

We have a great High Priest who is standing on the porch between death and life. It is the death of this earthly, temporal life that we are all bound by and the eternal life that is made manifest by our Lord Jesus Christ that He is standing between. It is through Him that we receive life. It is also Him that is the great Intercessor for us. Glory be to God!

Joel 2:12-13

Now says the Lord your God, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting and wailing and with mourning; rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate. He is longsuffering and plenteous in mercy and repents of evils.

Personal Challenge

It is the state of our hearts that is important to God. Even though our faith practice calls upon us to fast, pray, worship, and do other things in our lives in order to develop godly habits and disciplines, it is most important to discipline our hearts. God has told us through the scriptures and through the Living Word, Jesus, that God looks at the hearts of men and not their outward appearances and actions. God wants us to turn to Him with our whole heart and to have our actions, all of them, flow from that heart that belongs to Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Micah 7:7

But I will look to the Lord. I will wait for God my Savior, for my God will hear me.

Encouraging Words

Sometimes life can be tough. For some people, life feels like it is always tough. No matter whether we are in good times or in those rough times, we can always look to the Lord knowing that He will hear us. This gives us what we need to navigate these tough times and relish the good. Glory be to God!

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O man, what is good. Or what does the Lord seek from you but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to be ready to walk with the Lord your God?

Personal Challenge

Throughout history, people have asked the question, “What must I do to be saved?” we have it wired within us that we have been separated from our creator and that we need to be saved from the grip that death has upon us. So, what must we do to be saved? It is not about what we do, but about Who we proclaim as our Savior. He has been revealed to us, so we have no excuse. We grab hold of Him and do not let go. Then the doing follows that because we love Him and want to show our gratitude to Him. He wants us to live just lives, to love mercy, and to walk in His ways. Glory be to God!