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Devotions this week based on The Prophets Week 9  – Zephaniah (WATCH HERE)

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“The great day of the Lord is near—near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.” — Zephaniah 1:14 (NIV)

The prophet Zephaniah opens his short but powerful book with a thunderous warning. The phrase “the day of the Lord” rings like a trumpet blast throughout the first chapter—reminding God’s people that His patience has limits and that His holiness demands justice.

Zephaniah ministered during the reign of King Josiah, a period of political reform but spiritual complacency. Judah looked faithful on the outside, but inside, hearts were cold. Idolatry thrived, and people assumed God either didn’t care or wouldn’t act. They had forgotten that God’s covenant love includes both mercy and discipline.

When Zephaniah spoke of “the day of the Lord,” he wasn’t describing a 24-hour event, but a time when God steps into history to judge sin and set things right. It is both terrifying and hopeful: terrifying for those who persist in rebellion, but hopeful for those who long for forgiveness and grace.

The same God who declares judgment is the One who offers grace. His wrath is never impulsive; it is the burning purity of love refusing to coexist with evil. The “day of the Lord” reminds us that God will not leave sin unaddressed forever. It’s His promise to make all things right, both in the world and in our hearts.

Zephaniah’s message may seem harsh at first glance, but it is actually an act of mercy. Like a loving parent warning a child of danger, God confronts His people not to destroy them but to awaken them.

In our modern world, spiritual complacency is just as real. We may not bow before carved idols, but we often serve subtler ones—comfort, success, approval, or entertainment. We might attend church faithfully, yet drift through our days without true awareness of God’s presence or holiness. Zephaniah’s words pierce that fog: Wake up! The Lord is near.

When God confronts you through His Word or life’s circumstances, it’s an invitation—not condemnation. He is calling you to align your heart again with His. Take time to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of compromise or apathy. Maybe it’s unforgiveness you’ve ignored, habits you’ve justified, or devotion you’ve delayed. Respond in repentance, God’s mercy meets you there.

The “day of the Lord” is not meant to fill us with fear but to stir us toward faithfulness. It reminds us that history and our individual lives are moving toward a divine purpose. Every day the Lord points us toward that coming day when Christ will reign in perfect righteousness.

Instead of living in dread, we live in readiness. Instead of being lulled by comfort, we are energized by hope.

 

Application: Where might God be calling you to wake up spiritually? What attitudes, habits, or distractions could be dulling your sensitivity to His voice?

Prayer: Lord, awaken my heart. I confess that I often take Your grace for granted and live as though I have endless time to turn back. Shake me from complacency. Help me see sin the way You see it, and give me courage to repent and return to You fully. Teach me to live alert and faithful. Keep me close to You until that glorious day when Your righteousness fills the earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Devotions this week based on The Prophets Week 7 – Habakkuk (WATCH HERE)

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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 tread on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:18-19)

Today marks the 508th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 Theses or statements by which he desired to spark a debate on the selling of indulgences for the forgiveness of sins.  This practice was providing money for the coffers of Rome and empty promises to the people who bought them.  

Luther’s journey of faith had come to realize the truth that Habakkuk wrote of in 2:4, “the righteous will live by faith.”  Rightness before God was not a work of effort, but rather a gift of God’s grace because of the work of Jesus Christ.

This truth freed Luther’s conscience and is still the heart of the confessional Lutheran church that we are assured of salvation by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, found in Scripture alone.  

So freeing was this teaching that Luther put his life on the line to bring this truth of Scripture back to the center of the church’s teaching.  While the Catholic Church and the papacy have yet to shift to this focus, the truth has been encouraging and comforting the hearts of many Christians for the past 508 years.

Living by faith is challenging.  It means letting go of my control and putting my heart and life fully in God’s control.  At the beginning of his oracle, Habakkuk had asked the questions of the Lord as to why wickedness continued or why a wicked nation would be used to bring justice to Judah.  He was content to realize that with the Lord as his Savior and strength, the other externals of life were secondary in importance.  The song he sings in Habakkuk 3 is reflective of this truth.  The last two verses put what living by faith results in: Rejoicing in the LORD!

Even though judgment was coming, the economy would collapse, the crops would fail, and the livestock would die, he declares: “I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

This is not denial; it’s defiance of despair. Habakkuk’s joy is not in outcomes but in God Himself. The “sovereign Lord is my strength” (3:19). 

Habakkuk began with complaints and confusion; he ends with confidence and praise. That is the transformation of faith.

Luther began with confusion and the crushing weight of guilt, he ends with confidence in the grace of God and praise for the goodness of God.

When we struggle with confusion over what God is doing or question why something is happening, remember the conclusion of Habakkuk: no matter what is happening around me, as I live by faith I can ALWAYS rejoice in the Lord and find strength in God my Savior!

 

Apply: Find peace in God’s promises even when life is uncertain. Remember God’s faithfulness endures even when physical strength fades. Faith doesn’t remove the storm — it anchors you through it. True joy doesn’t come from what we hold but from who holds us.

Prayer: Lord, even when the fields are empty and the plans fail, teach us to rejoice in You. Be our strength when we are weak, our joy when life is hard, and our salvation when all else fades. Help us live by faith, walk in hope, and sing with joy because You are enough. Amen.

Devotions this week based on The Prophets Week 7 – Habakkuk (WATCH HERE)

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“Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day.” — Habakkuk 3:2

Habakkuk ends not with despair, but with a song. In the midst of uncertainty, the prophet turns to prayerful worship. He receives the Lord’s answer to his questions and recalls the mighty acts of God.  As the Lord had acted faithfully in the past, so he would now.  He had led Israel through the Red Sea, conquered nations, and saved His people. The more he recalls the faithfulness of the Lord, the more his faith grows.

In verses 3–15, Habakkuk paints a poetic picture of God marching across history like a divine warrior. “His glory covered the heavens and His praise filled the earth” (3:3). The imagery recalls Exodus 15, where Moses sang after the Red Sea: “The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name.” Habakkuk knows that the God who delivered Israel before will not abandon His people now.

Verse 2 is a prayer for mercy: “In wrath, remember mercy.” Habakkuk acknowledges that judgment is coming, but pleads for God’s compassion in the midst of it. The Lord had shown a pattern of mercy in the midst of his justice.  Habakkuk never saw it, but the same tension he felt was resolved perfectly in Christ: at the cross, God’s wrath and mercy met. Justice is satisfied; grace is poured out.

Remembering God’s past faithfulness strengthens faith in present trials. Habakkuk gives all of God’s people a faithful reminder.  When we are in a moment that it is hard to see how God is acting or will act, remember the power of God he had shown before.  It doesn’t have to be just a personal experience (although you may have those too), but rather we have all the examples in Scripture of God’s power and faithfulness.  Like the psalmist in Psalm 77:11–14 reflects, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord… You are the God who performs miracles.” 

When fear rises, look backward before you look forward. Rehearse what God has already done  in Scripture, in history, in your life. Parents can teach children family testimonies of answered prayer. Couples can recall how God carried them through storms. The retired can share stories of God’s providence that younger generations need to hear.

Remembering the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord is not an escape from reality; rather, it’s an anchor in it. As you sing, pray, and remember, you are proclaiming that the God who was faithful yesterday is still faithful today.

 

Apply: What changes in the situation(s) with which you are dealing if you remember the deeds of the Lord and how he has shown up with power and presence in your life?

 

Prayer: Lord, we have heard of Your fame and stand in awe of Your deeds. Do it again in our day! In wrath remember mercy. Stir our hearts to remember Your faithfulness and to trust You for the future. You have been our refuge in generations past. Be our strength again today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Devotions this week based on The Prophets Week 7 – Habakkuk (WATCH HERE)

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“The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.” — Habakkuk 2:20

God was going to use wicked Babylon to bring judgment on Judah.  At first it didn’t make sense that God would use the wicked to punish those more righteous.  But as Habakkuk “lives by faith” there is need to trust that God is working even when we can’t see it. 

God was not overlooking the pride and sin of Babylon.  They too would fall under God’s justice.  The nation God uses as His instrument of judgment will itself face judgment. Five “woes” ring out in this section:

The Lord denounces the sin of Babylon:

• Greed: (v. 6) “‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion!
• Deception: (v. 9) “Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!
• Violence: (v. 12) “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice!
• Exploitation: (v 15) “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
• Idolatry (v. 19) Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”

The message is clear: no power, however mighty, stands beyond God’s justice.

Babylon builds its empire on blood and fear (2:12). It trusts in wealth and military strength. But God reminds Habakkuk, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (2:14). The glory of human empires fades; the glory of God fills eternity.

The lesson is not just for Babylon, but for us as well.  If we think we can build our personal kingdom on the efforts of our own pride, taking advantage of others for our own gain, or prioritizing material and earthly gain over the Lord, we are sorely mistaken.

It may seem like these ways work for a while.  One may experience “victories.”  One may have an increase in wealth.  But when the heart is not aligned to the Lord, we fall under his judgment.  Temporal, earthly gain and standing will not stand up against the Lord’s glory.  Sin is exposed and we must fall silent without excuse.  

“The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.” (2:20). 

This is not the silence of fear, but of awe. When Isaiah saw the Lord in His temple, he cried, “Woe is me!” (Isaiah 6:5). When Job finally encountered God, he said, “I put my hand over my mouth” (Job 40:4). Reverent silence acknowledges the perfection and power of God. 

In that silence, the Spirit of God invites us to turn from our pride and arrogance back to him.  For there from His holy temple, the Lord will certainly forgive and restore us to his grace. 

 

Apply: How are you building your spiritual home?  Is it on things that will perish or things that will last?  Remember real security is not in wealth or success but in God’s unshakable rule. Homes built on pride crumble; homes centered on Christ stand firm.

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, You rule from heaven and see all that happens on earth. When pride and injustice rise around us, remind us that You reign. Teach us to be silent before You, not in fear, but in faith. Humble our hearts, purify our motives, and fill us with reverent awe. May our lives proclaim Your glory. Amen.

Devotions this week based on The Prophets Week 7 – Habakkuk (WATCH HERE)

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After hearing God’s shocking plan to use Babylon to punish Judah, Habakkuk is stunned. His mind reels with questions: How can a holy God use an unholy nation to discipline His people? “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do You tolerate the treacherous?” (1:13). Habakkuk believes in God’s justice, but using wicked Babylon seems incompatible with His character.

Have you ever been there? You know God is good, but His plan feels wrong. You trust Him, but your heart aches under the weight of His silence or events that don’t make sense. Habakkuk stands between belief and bewilderment.

Habakkuk takes his stand on the watchtower (2:1). He waits, not in anger but in expectation: “I will look to see what He will say to me.” This is faith in practice. Habakkuk brings questions to God, then waits for His answer. Like the psalmist in Psalm 130:5, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.”

God answers, not by explaining every detail, but by revealing a truth that will shape the course of salvation history: “The righteous will live by his faith.” (2:4). It’s not the strong, clever, or successful who survive; it’s those who trust in God’s promises. This verse becomes the heartbeat of the gospel. Paul quotes it in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11 to proclaim that salvation is by faith alone, not by works. The writer of Hebrews echoes it in Hebrews 10:38 as a call to persevere amid persecution.

In contrast to the righteous, the proud, “his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him” (2:4a). The Babylonians are the epitome of pride: powerful, violent, and self-sufficient. Yet pride is not limited to empires. It dwells in every heart that says, “I can handle life on my own.” Faith, by contrast, looks upward and says, “My help comes from the Lord” (Psalm 121:2).

Faith doesn’t mean we understand everything God does. It means we trust His character when His actions are confusing. Abraham didn’t understand how God could promise descendants and then ask for Isaac’s life. But “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Faith means walking in trust before the evidence is clear.

When the Apostle Paul rediscovered this verse, it shattered the chains of guilt and fear that bound him. He realized righteousness is not earned — it’s received through faith in Christ. God’s justice that once terrified him became his comfort. Through Christ, the wrath that Habakkuk foresaw fell not on us, but on the Savior who bore our sin.

Faith is not passive; it’s a steady leaning into God’s promises when sight fails. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). The proud look inward and fall. The faithful look upward and live.

Apply: Faith means trusting that even when you cannot control your outcomes, God’s Word and promises remain true.  Living by faith means choosing grace when the other fails, forgiveness when hurt, and prayer when you can’t fix everything. Faith means living counterculturally — not chasing pride, image, or control, but trusting that your identity in Christ defines you more than achievements ever could.

Prayer: Lord, You are holy and just, yet Your ways are often beyond our understanding. When we are confused, teach us to trust You more deeply. Help us to live by faith — not by what we see, but by who You are. When we stumble, remind us that our righteousness is found in Christ alone. Give us courage to wait on You, and peace to rest in Your promises. Amen.