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God’s control of history is precisely what we need to reflect on when we live in uncertain times.
The woes in Habakkuk 2 are strong, but the grace given to us by Jesus is stronger.
The familiar verse “the righteous will live by his faith” is quoted multiple times in the New Testament to remind us of God’s grace through faith. But, it’s point doesn’t stop there — it also assures us of God’s faithfulness in times of trouble.
Like Habakkuk, we often wonder why God leaves us waiting in the midst of things that just aren’t how they should be. Why does evil prosper? Why does God allow his people to suffer? How do we process these things?
We wonder why the wicked seem to prosper when God says He loves righteousness.
Can we really afford to be meek in a dog eat dog world like ours?
We’re good at looking pure—saying the right things, following the right rules, putting on the kind of life that earns approving nods—and that’s precisely the trap Jesus names in Matthew 5:8 when he calls the pure *in heart* blessed, not the pure in appearance.
Blessed are the merciful—it sounds really good when we are the ones receiving mercy. That call suddenly sounds a lot worse when we’re the ones called to _show_ mercy. Jesus calls us to that mercy, against our natural inclination for payback.
Most of us have never gone without a meal, yet Jesus in Matthew 5:6 calls us to feel that ravenous, stomach-aching hunger—not for food, but for righteousness. Do we feel that craving?
Mothers mourn over children falling away, over ones they’ve outlived, over the ache of children they never had. That grief feels heavy for Mother’s Day, yet Jesus declares in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn.” How is it blessed to mourn?
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