Living in Times of Chaos
Daily Old Testament Reading: Habbakuk 3; Jeremiah 41-42
Daily Focus Passage: Habbakuk 3
We live in a world consumed by chaos. Chaos occurs as people live in the flesh, come out of pride, and allow sin to dominate them. The prophet tells us in chapter 3 that we must celebrate in the Lord, rejoice in him as our salvation, and trust in his strength.
The conditions around Habakkuk are miserable. Yet, they do not stop Habakkuk from celebrating and praising the Lord. The prophet chose to live a life where the dynamics of the world would not steal his joy. He refused to allow confusion to keep him from celebrating and rejoicing in the Lord. He would not allow hurt or fear to keep him from celebrating and rejoicing in the Lord. We celebrate because we have placed the Lord as the center of our lives. We worship the Lord because we recognize that he is forever on the throne and is never caught off guard. Thus, we worship because we have hope.
The prophet, Habakkuk, understood that the Lord provided him with the purpose to sing. He celebrated the gift that comes only from the Lord. He rejoiced because he knew he had a future that was based on the promises of God. We see this rejoicing occur in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas are rejoicing in the Lord because he is their salvation while sitting in prison. Today, believers must seek to find the Lord. We must rejoice in the Lord because he has promised us eternity through a relationship with his son.
The prophet Habakkuk trusted in the strength of the Lord. He understood that the Lord will provide the needed strength to endure the chaos and to live in Faithfulness. Today, we must likewise strive to trust in the strength of the Lord. Far too often, we attempt to carry out life in our own ability. We must battle this temptation and learn to rest on Jesus. This means that we will trust in the Lord more than we will trust in a leader situation or anything else. Thus, we must hear the prophet's words and learn to live in times of chaos by rejoicing in the Lord, trusting in his salvation, and resting in the strength of the Lord.
