Habakkuk Bible Sketch

When you have a complaint, who are your go-to people or what is something you do?

 

If you look to a person, drink, knowledge, or political affiliation, be careful not to put [him, her, it, them] above God.

 

Bring everything to your Creator in prayer with thanksgiving.

God hates disobedience, ingratitude and irreverence; so, our merciful Lord came to serve those who disobey, are ungrateful and irreverent. Our heavenly Father wants to teach us about goodness as well as listen to our complaints and frustrations. Our prayers are received in His perfect love. His Word blesses and covers us. Sometimes our inquiry, “why did this happen?” isn’t specifically satisfied as we desire, yet He knows every detail and answers in His way and time. Compassionately, He intercedes when we’re at a loss for words to pray. He works in our weakness and tears for our own benefit or that of someone else. Especially when this broken world displays just how shockingly evil it is, God is accomplishing His good purposes. He knows all of humanity is messed up and calls us to repentance. His Word points us to trust Christ in whom is certain hope for life and salvation.

Habakkuk 3:11

The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear. Habakkuk 3:11 ESV

Tragedy, the very opposite of what you expect, just might be what the Creator allows to happen.

 

Historic heart-breaking family farm tragedy on Wednesday, July 21, 1937.

85 years later, my brother, sisters and I share faint memories of hearing about the casualty. My grandfather and his sons were out in a field doing their work loading a hay wagon. Grandpa, my dad’s pa, was on the metal hay loader when he was struck by lightning and did not wake up. Lightning always goes for the highest thing to be grounded. Our land on the Minnesota prairie, higher up by the lake, is where it hit. The strike speedily came down from a cloud without warning. Rain is possible even when the sun is shining. Though knocked down, the sons survived. My uncle had been the driver and had to deal with the horses’ runaway reaction. The hearse/ambulance got stuck and horses had to pull it out. On a portion of the ground, soggy from previous rain, horses could go through much more than wheels. Hay can be dry on top and wet below. On an anniversary of the calamity when we rode with Dad in the car, he gestured to the area this happened. Such a mournful subject was infrequently and minimally discussed. It must have been very traumatic for my grandma, aunt, two uncles, and the 15-year old who would eventually become my dad. They were so young to have to face that their husband/pa would not come home, ever. My great great grandfather had taken a homestead in Shible township, survived all the hardships of pioneer life, and lived past 100 years of age. No one would have imagined that two generations later, my grandfather would pass, instantly, just a few miles away in Hegbert township, only a month past 48 years of age.

It is normal to wonder how God works in distress. 

I’ve learned about Hope When Your Heart Breaks, navigating grief and loss. Comfort for challenges of family trauma pain come from within a faithful community when we remind each other of our shared confidence of mercy promised. The Word of God is balm for deep emotional wounds. The Holy Spirit carries us, encourages and restores broken hearts.

• God hears our prayers why? and how long?
  
• Though God allows or wills chaotic things to happen, doesn’t mean he endorses chaos.
• For now until God returns, He is patient.
  
• God is not idle.
  
• God is powerful. 
• God is God—you are not. The universe does not revolve around you. 
• God’s ways are higher than humans can comprehend.
• God cares for us in unexpected ways.
• God’s commands are loving. He desires for our good, yet does not force us to comply.
• God invites us to trust Him for strength and mercy.
• Out of thanksgiving for God’s deep love for us, by grace, we love Him and extend love to others. 
  

 

Not by one’s own heritage, love, decision, work, reason or strength do we believe. 

Only in faith, the Gospel, through the waters of Holy Baptism and with the Word, the gift of the Holy Spirit lives within those who receive its repentance and forgiveness. We receive Jesus’s body and blood, in-with-under bread and wine and His Word, which forgives us and strengthens faith that has been given to us. God is always just. His wrath over sin was satisfied by His Son who perfectly proved His love for everyone. After He endured persecution and crucifixion, He was buried and descended into hell. Then, victoriously, He bodily rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. All this, so we may have mercy and grace!

At times, we struggle to 

• resist temptations that come from the sneaky devil, the deceiver who pushes us to doubt
• have honest conversations
  
• lovingly do genuine good which God has prepared for us to do
  
• wait patiently, calmly
  
• allow mysteries to comfortably exist
  

The action and attitude of arrogantly insisting on lording control over what, or whom, is not ours to control, is forgivable. The Holy Spirit transforms it into humility which brings freedom to let go of heavy concerns at the foot of the cross. There is forgiveness for all of our failures.

 

In Christ, we eagerly wait for judgement day! read more 

“So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:28

When frustrating questions of why and how long turn into trust of God, there’s restorative rest. By grace we may go to God for refuge and let go of temptation to anxiously dread His wrath. Worry can be replaced by prayer which helps Scripture makes sense. Gentle words in proper timing are given to the mind to share. Jesus is enough. It’s not all about us; it is all about Jesus who took our sin to save people from hell. The gift of the Holy Spirit should not be rejected. All who receive its saving faith in Jesus Christ have repentance and mercy. Truth of new life to come brings healing, patience and a peace which surpasses understanding to those who receive the Holy Spirit. All who trust Jesus loved us with His life, pass through death and unite in heaven where the ascended Redeemer’s love flows eternally.

“How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider me and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13

Thank the Lord for guiding the Church to share hope and teach Christ. Praise and honor God for the gift of Prayer during times of trouble! Remember, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Feedback to prayer, timing, spiritual growth, and all things are in God’s caring hands which were outstretched and nailed to the cross.

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” Habakkuk 3:17-19

 

Read, listen, watch

• Post titled Enduring the Silence of God
• Conversation about Habakkuk’s prayer 
  
• Habakkuk overview video

 

Family History Notebook

Write notes about your family history and ancestors! You may learn about and purchase my print and digital editions of Family Tree Notebooks and Charts at

• FreshRetroGallery Etsy
• FreshRetroGallery Handmade Amazon

They make wonderful gifts and are great conversation pieces! Thanks for supporting small business artists.

Losing parents at a young age. Growth through adversity. The big picture of life.

At the gas pump today a friendly stranger struck up a conversation. This person was waiting for me to finish washing my windows so he could use the squeegee sponge thingamajig next. He said, “nice car” to which I thanked him and told him I’d bought it from my mom when she became ill and was no longer able to drive. He said it might be good for 300,000 miles if I took good care of it. I said, “I hope so!” Then he asked if she was still living. I told him no, she passed away a little over a year ago. He told me his mom died when he was only 21 and that it had made a big impact on his life. It was time to move on, so I didn’t find out what he meant by that. I left with thoughts about how each of us never knows when we will lose someone we love. Catastrophes such as the violent tragedy in the Aurora, Colorado movie theater, the events of 9/11, war, car accidents; natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes; unexpected illnesses of children, young and elderly; and the inevitable death by old-age cause heart-breaking losses.

I began to consider my parents lives. When she was still a part of my life, my mom helped me record our genealogy information on a family tree chart I designed. Both of my grandmothers lived long lives, but I cannot say the same for my grandfathers. My mother’s father died from illness when she was only 17. My father was only 15 when he lost his father—a farmer struck by lightening while working in the field with two sons and his horses. My father’s and his brother’s lives were spared. I don’t like to imagine how hard it was to lose their pa that way and for their younger brother, sister and ma who were just a short distance away in their home. When anyone says the chances of being struck by lightening are slim to none, I differ, based on my own family history.

Not everyone will die of old age. It’s important to consider this as we live our lives. Life is precious. The family and friends we have are blessings. I can clearly see the peace, love and comfort of God shine through the lives of so many faithful people as they’ve touched my life when I’ve shared a trouble or sadness with them. Both of my grandmothers and their children (my parents, aunts and uncles) surely received loving kindness, sympathy, comfort and encouragement from their Christian friends and relatives when they suffered the loss of their husbands/fathers. I am learning that tragedies of all types—whether it be the loss of life or any kind of failure and suffering—has a higher purpose: to bring us closer to God and share His love as we serve Him by bearing each other’s burdens.

I wonder, since both of my parents each lost their father at a young age, was this common experience something that may have drawn them to each other? It certainly seems like more than a simple coincidence. The compassion they had learned from all of the people who surrounded them during their losses was now a part of their own character. This was something that they truly understood about each other. This love of God is what they built their marriage upon for 58 years until death parted them. How thankful I am that this love and eternal peace is what they shared with me. Now, through the gift of faith—by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—they are united with God and all who share that faith—their loved ones who went before them and eventually with all who will meet them some day in eternity where there is no more pain and sorrow.

The fact that both of my grandma’s were named Ida just might be a coincidence, however, what comes next—following their losses—was different for each. My fraternal grandma never remarried. She was 47 when her husband died from a natural disaster and she remained a widow for the the next 42 years of her life. My maternal grandma remarried twice. She lost her husband when she was 42; lost her second husband when she was 54; and lost her third husband (the “grandpa” I knew) when she was 74. Our lives certainly are impacted by every event and person that shapes the path we follow. My grandmothers were truly blessings to me and each person within their circles.

In the big picture of life, I am amazed at how intricately woven together I am with other people—like mesh. Beginning from conception, we were physically and emotionally connected to our mothers. When we were born our uniqueness is tied to each person in our immediate family and circle of relatives and friends. As we grow up, our circle expands. With technology, social media or by chance, we have knowledge about lives of people we don’t know personally and are reconnected to those from our past. The size of our circle no longer has bounds. I will never know the story the gentleman at the gas station might have shared, but what he said made me think. We learn from others and are inspired by them. We empathize with them and help when we can. We pray.

For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb. —Psalm 139: 13