2 Corinthians 1:8

2 Corinthians 1:8 says, For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:  Though Paul proclaimed freedom and peace through the gospel, he did not want people to believe that this meant freedom and peace in this world at all times.  Paul wanted the followers of Christ to know that not only would they not always be at peace in the world, but that being true to Christ might bring persecution and suffering.  Paul said that in Asia they were pressed out measure and above their strength.  He also said that they feared for their lives.  Paul was not sharing this to bring honor to himself for his sufferings for Christ, but to call on his fellow believers to remain strong in their faith no matter what.  Verse nine adds, But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:  Paul said that under the sentence of death that they knew that their deliverance was not to come by their own strength, but through God Who raises the dead.  Like Paul, we cannot rely on our own strength for deliverance, and even if we lose our life for our faith in Christ, God will still raise us to everlasting life.  Verse ten continues, Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;  Paul said that Christ delivered us from death when we accepted Him as our Savior, that every day He delivers us from the power of death from sin when we follow Him as Lord, and that we can trust Him for the final deliverance into Heaven when He returns.  We are not just saved and left to live by our own power, but once we accept Christ as Savior and Lord, He is with us forever to deliver us from death under sin to life through faith in the grace of God.  Verse eleven states, Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.  Paul said the prayers for those with him and for him helped them in their ministry.  We need to be in prayer for our fellow believers today, especially those who are ministers of the gospel.  Never underestimate the power of prayer.  Verse twelve adds, For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.  Paul said that those with him and he himself rejoiced because they witnessed with the testimony of their conscience.  They were faithful in presenting the truth of the gospel to all those around them.  Paul recognized that this was only possible by the grace of God.  Even while being persecuted, Paul was rejoicing in the power of the gospel in his life.  We need to be the same way today, witnessing about the gospel in simplicity and Godly sincerity to all those we meet.

2 Corinthians 1:1

2 Corinthians 1:1 says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:  Paul identified himself as the author of this letter and gave his qualification to write it.  He did not speak of any degrees he may have earned or any earthly titles he may have earned.  Paul simply identified himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.  This should be the way we view ourselves today, not necessarily as an apostle, but that whatever we are called to be in the church, the body of Christ, we are because of our faith in Christ.  Paul acknowledged Timothy as a brother.  As followers of Christ, we are all brothers and sisters through our faith in Him.  Paul said he was writing to the church of God at Corinth, and to all the saints in Achaia.  What we know is that Paul was writing to us as well.  Just as these truths applied to all believers in Corinth and Achaia, they apply to us today.  Verse two adds, Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul wished them grace and peace.  I believe that these to things are inclusive.  When we are saved by and living under the grace of God, we will be at peace in our lives, no matter the conditions under which we live.  When we are not living under the grace of God, then we can never be at peace in the world.  Verse three continues, Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  Paul said that he blessed God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  This was not two Gods, but two manifestations of the One God.  Paul declared God to be the Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort.  Only through accepting the mercy of God through our faith in Christ as our Savior and Lord can we find comfort in this evil world.  When we have this comfort from God, nothing in this world can take it away.  Verse four states, Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.  Paul said that since God comforts His people in times of trouble that His people should be able to comfort others.  We are to be caring, compassionate people as followers of Christ.  Verse five adds, For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. I believe this means that Christ takes on the suffering for all sins for all time, and since this is true, then our consolation should abound because of our faith in our salvation through Christ.  Verse six continues, And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.  Paul was basically saying that whatever state he found himself in, whether afflicted or comforted, that everything he did was for the comfort and salvation of others.  We need the same attitude.  Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we must continue to witness to and comfort others through our faith in Christ.  Verse seven concludes, And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.  Paul declared his hope for the Christians at Corinth to be steadfast.  They were suffering persecution as was Paul, but he knew that their consolation through Christ would always be there.  When we are suffering due to our faith today, we simply have to rest in the consolation of our salvation.

Habakkuk Review

As always, with Habakkuk as with any book of the Bible, we must look for what it says to us today as followers of Christ.  Though written to a particular group of people at a particular time, the truth revealed about God is everlasting.  The first thing we see is that Habakkuk was troubled by what he saw going on around him.  Not only were God's people subjected to the power of another nation, but many had adopted the worship practices of those they were subjected to.  We can never allow the fact that someone has power over us to cause us to turn away from God and worship anything of this world.  If we see this happening, then we should be burdened. Habakkuk asked how long it would be before God answered him when he cried out to Him.  There may be times today when we don't immediately get the answer that we want to our prayers that we wonder if God is listening.  We can be certain that God always listens and answers the prayers of His followers.  We only need to remain faithful to our relationship to Him and accept the answer when it comes.  Often we are wanting God's endorsement of our plans instead of our looking for His direction, and when this doesn't happen, we feel that God hasn't answered our prayers.  Habakkuk also declared God to be the One Who created and sustains the universe. There is nowhere we can go that God isn't there.  There is nothing we can offer God, except ourselves, that isn't already His.  God can indeed move heaven and earth to accomplish His will.  We can also be certain that sin will be punished, if not in this life, then in the everlasting life to come.  As followers of Christ, our sins have already been washed away by His blood shed on the cross.  Also, we need to be alert to see God's work, even in a world that seems ruled by evil.

Habakkuk 3:12

Habakkuk 3:12 says, Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.  When God becomes indignant toward people because of their sin, He does indeed march through that land in indignation and thresh the heathen, those who refuse to acknowledge God.  Matthew Henry says these past few verses referred to Israel, God's chosen people, going into the Promised Land.  For us, it means that God will defeat all enemies that stand between us and our promised land, or heaven.  Verse thirteen adds, Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.  God does not just arbitrarily punish people, even the wicked ones, but He does it for the salvation of His people, which is anyone who puts their faith in Christ and the salvation that He brings.  Verse fourteen continues, Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.  When those in power begin to secretly devour, or misuse, the poor, especially those who are God's people, God takes notice.  We may think that we can get away with things done in secret, but nothing is secret from God.  Verse fifteen states, Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.  This is probably a reference to God's deliverance of Israel out of Egypt when He parted the Red Sea.  Some today would claim that this was really just a marsh land and not really a sea.  If this were true, then God would have drowned the Egyptian army in a marsh.  People, in their attempt to limit God's power, often make statements that when viewed honestly only serve to show His power.  Verse sixteen adds, When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.  When God comes in judgment, we like Habakkuk should tremble in the presence of His power.  Fortunately for those who put their faith in Christ, though we may tremble in awe of God's power, we do not have to face the wrath of His judgment.  Verse seventeen continues, Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:  Habakkuk lists the failure of all the things that they relied on for sustaining life.  Then, in verse eighteen he declares, Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  After saying that if all were to fail in the world, even the sources of food, Habakkuk declared that he would still rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of his salvation.  We must likewise rejoice in the Lord, because He is the only source of our salvation.  Our rejoicing in God cannot be based on the material things of the world but must simply be due to His gift of salvation, which is everlasting.  Verse nineteen adds, The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.  Habakkuk said that the Lord God was his strength, and that God would lift him up to walk in high places.  This has not changed.  No matter what happens in this world, when God comes in judgment, He will lift up those who put their faith in Christ to walk in heavenly places.  Until then, we must simply rejoice in God, no matter what.

Habakkuk 3:5

Habakkuk 3:5 says, Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.  This is a continuation of Habakkuk's prayer and a continued reflection about God's work in the past.  God has sent a pestilence on the people of Egypt to gain the freedom of Israel.  Even when Israel was enslaved, God had not forgotten them, but in His time, He delivered them.  They didn't leave Egypt with just their freedom, but they left with riches as well.  When God delivers a person from sin, He also delivers them into the riches of His kingdom.  Though we may never see riches in this world, we are joint heirs with Christ to all of God's blessings if we only put our faith in Christ.  Verse six adds, He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.  God created the heavens and the earth, and He still has power over them.  They will move at His command.  If we are told that if we have even a mustard seed worth of faith we can move mountains, imagine what the One we put our faith in can do.  As Habakkuk stated, God's ways are everlasting.  Verse seven continues, I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.  Habakkuk said that just as God had worked in the past to overthrow those who oppressed His people, he was praying for the same deliverance.  We know that God has delivered us from our sins through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, but if we find that we are suffering under the oppression of the world today, we need to ask God to strengthen us that we might remain faithful to Him.  Verse eight states, Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?  The question was whether God was angry with the rivers and sea when He changed their course.  The answer was no that God was just using His dominion over nature to deliver and sustain His people. Nature of itself has never done anything against God.  It is only the sins of people that cause nature to be out of balance.   We were to care for the earth, not abuse and misuse it.  Verse nine adds, Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.  This is a continuation of remembering God's power and work in protecting Israel.  I believe if we are ever in a bad situation today, all we need to do is remember how God has worked in our lives in the past to have faith that He will work in our lives again today to deliver us from the power of sin.  Verse ten continues, The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.  This is just another reminder that God controls all of the universe.  We read today of new planets or heavenly bodies being discovered, but they are not new or unknown to God.   Verse eleven concludes, The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.  God did indeed once stop the sun from setting to enable the Israelites to win a battle.  What we need to acknowledge is that God does indeed control the universe, and that victory over sin will always be His.

Habakkuk 3:1

Habakkuk 3:1 says, A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.  Habakkuk stops his prophecy and offers a prayer to God.  Even if we realize the truth of the coming judgment of God, we need to continue to pray for the lost.  Verse two adds, O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.  Habakkuk had spoken to God, and God to Habakkuk in chapter one, then God spoke to and through Habakkuk in chapter two, now Habakkuk was speaking to God.  Habakkuk had said he would watch for God's answer, and God had given it.  Habakkuk said he had heard God, but still asked God to remember His mercy on the people of Israel, His chosen people. Even as we acknowledge to coming judgment of God, we need to be in prayer for the lost, that they may come to know God's merciful gift of salvation.  Verse three continues, God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.  Habakkuk recalls when God first displayed His power and majesty to the people of Israel at the giving of the law to Moses.  God displayed His glory in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and Habakkuk asked that He remember His people. We need to remember the works that God did in the past, especially our redemption through Christ, when we find ourselves in trouble today.  Verse four concludes, And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.  Habakkuk is still reflecting on the majesty of God shown to His people in the past.  When we are feeling that the world is overwhelming us today, we need to first turn to God in prayer.  As we do, we need to remember His work in our lives.  God never fails those who are truly His, and as followers of Christ we should be able to recall how He has been at work in our lives.

Habakkuk 2:15

Habakkuk 2:15 says, Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!  Habakkuk continues to speak of the woe that is coming to those who take advantage of their neighbors.  Here he speaks of getting the neighbor drunk in order to take advantage of them.  We cannot prevent people from getting drunk, but we can make certain that we are not the ones to cause them to be that way and also make certain that we don't take advantage of them when they are.  Verse sixteen adds, Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD’s right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.  Habakkuk said that those who caused others to be drunk, to profit from or enjoy their drunkenness, would someday suffer the same fate when confronted with God's judgment.  All pretence of power will be laid bare and become a shameful spewing instead of the glory that it was thought to bring.  Verse seventeen continues, For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.  Though Babylon, which had imprisoned Israel, may have been proud of their military might, it was going to fail them.  There was a great violence coming and they would be very afraid..  No matter what we put our faith in today, in the coming judgment of God, those who are not His will be very afraid.  Verse eighteen asks, What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?  Just as military might would fail, so would manmade gods, or idols.  Not only was their military to fail them, but their idols, their manmade gods, were to especially fail them.  God asked, through Habakkuk, what was the profit in these idols for those who made them.  We today need to ask what the profit is in worshipping anything in the world and placing it above our relationship to God.  Verse nineteen adds, Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach!Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.  No matter how beautiful an idols may be, Habakkuk warned that there was no real power in them.  No matter how enticing an idol may be today, and it does not have to be a graven image, it is without saving power.  Anything that comes between God and us becomes an idol to us.  Verse twenty continues, But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.  No matter how good or bad things may be in our lives, we need to acknowledge that God is in charge.  We can keep silent in our complaints, but we should be bold in our witnessing for God.