The Lutheran Hour
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"The Only Way to Live: By Faith!"
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Text: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
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1:1…..O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?
2:2….And the Lord answered me:”Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end-it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. And the Lord said, “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia.
The more things change, the more things stay the same. When I look around today, that seems truer than ever. And, unfortunately, what’s also true is that the hard questions of life seem just as pressing today too. And that’s why it is important to listen carefully to the words spoken by a man named Habakkuk. He was an observer of the times, a student of the culture, a thinker. He was someone who asked the big questions, the difficult questions. Questions like, “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity? Why do you idly look at wrong?”
Have you asked questions like that? Do you find yourself needing help, guidance, and comfort-answers to the cries of your confusion and pain-but all you hear is silence, so you wonder, “Does God care?” Does the world seem like it is falling apart as anxiety and discord seem to be on the increase? Do you ever wonder, “God, are you going to do anything about it?”
Those are some challenging questions. And they just the kind of questions that the God of the Bible faces head on and answers.
You may be under the impression that it’s out of bounds for people to challenge God about the harsh realities of life in this world. You may have been told that wrestling with God is not what we human beings are supposed to do. But I want to clear something up with you right now. You can ask. You can challenge. You can wrestle with God as long as you let Him wrestle back with you. In fact, you’re supposed to do that. God wants to hear from you and He can take anything you give Him.
God said in His Word, “Call upon me in the day of trouble!” (Psalm 50:15) God cares about your questions and struggles. He wants to hear from you. He cares about you. You may not get every answer you hope for or every result you desire, but hear this and hear it clearly, God cares about you, listens to you, receives every difficult question you have with answers full of grace, care, and compassion because He is the source of strength and life of everything that is and will ever be!
Consider a man named Jacob. His story is found in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Jacob was a scoundrel and a liar. He swindled his brother out of the family inheritance. Afraid for his life, he fled and was gone for many years. Finally, he needed to come home. But he was terrified. He thought that his brother would harm him and his whole family. Trembling in fear, he asked God for help as he lay down to sleep. God appeared to him that night and Jacob wrestled with God. Jacob was so desperate, he said to God, “I won’t let go until I receive your blessing!” So after a night of wrestling, God blessed him and gave him and his family safety. In fact, God renamed him. Instead of Jacob, he was called “Israel,” which means, “He wrestles with God.”
Israel was the name given to all of God’s people. Isn’t that a remarkable identity? God said that the characteristic defining of His people is that they wrestle with Him. They refuse to let go until they receive God’s blessing.
By faith in the God of Israel, the One Who sent His Son Jesus; you are part of His people. That’s the identity you have. God wants you to ask the difficult questions. He wants you to be bold in challenging Him because He wants to be bolder still in bringing you to confident faith in Him. So, He doesn’t ever want you to give up because He never gives up on you. Don’t walk away. Don’t lose heart. Hold on. Don’t let go until you receive His blessing-some kind of answer in Him. That’s what it means to live by faith. You depend on God to act. You trust He will. And dear listener, God will respond. He cares about you and He loves to answer His people, to strengthen them in their struggles and grant them victory in their service.
So, Habakkuk was asking the tough questions, questions that resonate with all of us. And his book reminds us that the Bible isn’t a book of feel-good stories for blind optimists. In fact, the Bible isn’t a collection of made-up fairy tales and mythical sayings like so many say it is today. It is a book that addresses real life, it’s real and raw, rigorous in thought, testing the realities around us and inside us but ultimately calling us to faith in God above all things, a life of faith for life now and forever.
That’s important for you to know. If you have questions like Habakkuk, God provides real and meaningful answers in His Word. He doesn’t remain silent. So, do you need some answers today? I do, you do, we all do. In fact; people have always sought answers to the tough questions in life.
In ancient Greece, petitioners would pay substantial sums to consult the Oracle of Delphi, a woman in the temple of Apollo who would give answers in ecstatic gibberish which temple priests would interpret as predictions about the future. People wanted answers, but they walked away confused.
Even today, horoscopes, fortune tellers, and the Magic Eight Ball offer flimsy answers to people who have genuine questions; questions even amidst all of our technology and wealth. Questions abound. But, answers; they seem harder to come by more than ever.
So let me be bold today and say the prophet Habakkuk shows us the way to real answers. He said: “And the Lord answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end-it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay'” (Habakkuk 2:1-3).
God spoke to Habakkuk and He promised real answers. What direction did the prophet receive? He was told to watch and wait for God. That’s the direction you receive today too. Don’t give up. Wait for God. You don’t need to rely on your own insight or strength. You don’t have to climb mountains. Wait for God and not just some generic god, but Yahweh, the God of Israel, the God Who came in the flesh Whose Name was Jesus! He is God Who creates, redeems, restores, and grants life and salvation to all Who put their faith in Him.
There are so many powerful verses in the Bible that attest to God’s faithfulness to all who trust Him, to those who wait on Him.
I love the one in the prophet Isaiah where it says: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, the young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord they shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:28-31).
The Apostle Paul reminds us that no matter our present struggles, we can wait upon the Lord, that His power is made perfect even in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Wait for the Lord. You don’t need to figure it out. You don’t need to live a life of worry. You don’t need to jump to conclusions when you’re stumped for answers. Wait for the Lord.
A twelve-year-old girl and her mom found out what jumping to conclusions does. The girl registered to run a 5 kilometer road race. She was a good athlete, but she was a bit late getting to the race. Her mother helped her hustle to the starting line just as the start signal sounded. She joined in with the other runners. But as the race went on, she realized this may have been a mistake. The girl discovered that what she had assumed was the start was for the 5 kilometer race was actually the start for the half-marathon! Instead of running 3.1 miles, the twelve-year-old ran 13.1 miles! She finished, but it was a bit tougher than she thought; so, she decided after that race-her first ever half-marathon, from now on, she would wait to see what race is actually being run before she started.
We get ahead of ourselves when we jump to conclusions, when we fail to wait on the Lord, His guidance, His direction. And waiting upon God is trusting in His track record of grace and salvation, being certain about His presence in all things. And a life hanging on His every word means that you will receive answers-real answers. It’s just like we heard Habakkuk say: “Wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” Then he added, “The righteous will live by faith” (2:4).
And we see that clearly when the God with whom Habakkuk was struggling clearly answered the hopes and dreams of all those who wrestled with Him. When He sent His Son Jesus to redeem and rescue the world through His death and resurrection.
God took upon Himself, the tough questions so that there could be real answers for all who put their faith in Him. Living by faith in Jesus Christ means living with a certain hope! It means living with answers as sure as the nail marks in Jesus’ hands and feet, as rock-solid as the risen Savior walking, talking, and eating with His disciples. Living by faith means staking all your uncertainty on the promises of God Who always comes through.
The writer of the book of Hebrews said it this way, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). Living by faith means living with answers-even if that answer is: “I don’t know the details, but I know I can wait on the living and trustworthy Lord Jesus Christ.”
That’s the conclusion Habakkuk came to. Even if everything looked like it was falling apart at the moment, he had the ultimate answer. He could live by faith and trust in the living God. No matter what the present circumstance, he, trusting in God, could say: 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 (Habakkuk 3:17-18).
You have the answer-a real answer to your most challenging struggle and most perplexing situation in life. It is in Jesus Who lives for you, Who cares about you, Who walks with you all the way to everlasting life. By faith, you can take joy in the God of your salvation.
Terry Fox did. Have you heard of Terry Fox? He was just 19 years old when aggressive cancer caused the amputation of his right leg. Terry had big questions, but, undaunted and carried by faith, Terry continued to do what he loved: he ran. At 22 years old, he started what he called his Marathon of Hope. Terry was a Canadian and he decided to run across Canada for cancer research. He hoped to raise one dollar from each of Canada’s 24 million residents at the time. His run started with very little fanfare, but by the time he crossed one-third of the country, the nation rallied behind him.
Along the way, Terry Fox didn’t get caught up in his growing celebrity status. He didn’t get sidetracked by any other issues or difficulties. He stayed focused on his purpose. Terry said: “The people in cancer clinics all over the world need people who believe in miracles. I believe in miracles. I have to.”
He kept his eyes on the answer, the miracle of God with Whom all things are possible, the truth of the Savior Who is risen from the dead, the One Who hears our prayers and responds as we wait for Him.
So, why does evil seem to still go unchecked? Wait for the Lord. Even if it means waiting until Jesus comes again, God will make things right. The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, but even he is not strong enough to overcome the One who conquered death, Jesus, the risen Savior.
How can you get through your sadness and pain? Wait for the Lord. Jesus, Who loves you, Who died for you, and Who lives even now He lets you know that He is with you always. He will never leave you nor forsake you (Matthew 28:20). He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Do you feel like all you are doing today is enduring the onslaught of chaos in the culture, illness or difficulty in your life, with struggles at every turn? Wait for the Lord. Jesus calls you “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). It is Jesus Christ Who lives in you and He is the One Who shines His light through you-even when you don’t realize it.
Does good really win in the end? Wait for the Lord. Jesus Himself promised: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). Yes, when Jesus returns, there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. God will make all things new (Revelation 21:4-5).
That’s a life, a faith that God wants for you today. Put your faith in Him, hold fast to His Word, His promises because they, yes He, will always hold on to you. Count on it.
Amen.
Action in Ministry for October 2, 2016
Guest: Dr. Bisi AdemuyiwaANNOUNCER: You’re listening to The Lutheran Hour. This is the part of our program called Action In Ministry. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We are joined today by Dr. Bisi Ademuyiwa. She is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and pediatrics in 2015 and 2016. Dr. Bisi was recognized as one of the best doctors in St. Louis. She’s authored a resource for us titled Hope and Healing: Surviving Breast Cancer. It combines her experience and knowledge with the promises we find in God’s Word. Dr. Bisi, thank you for joining us today.
BISI: Glad to be here. Thank you.
ANNOUNCER: Let’s talk a little bit now about the cancer journey. In your booklet you described the various stages of cancer and some of the typical treatment options. How do you offer encouragement and hope when the patient feels alone or is perhaps even tired and sick from the various treatments?
BISI: Well, when I meet a woman with a diagnosis of breast cancer, I usually, sort of, lay out the landscape of the treatment. It usually takes several months to about a year. I tell them it’s sort of like a short or moderately short tunnel, which is dark but doable, and there’s a very, very bright light at the end of the tunnel. So, once the treatments are done, there’s light. You heal up and then go back to your regular life and I make people understand that they’re not alone in this journey. There are many, many women that have been diagnosed with breast cancer. There are lots of support groups in the community and churches. They can be part of these support groups which really do help women.
ANNOUNCER: And after the diagnosis, what happens next and what advice do you give your patients?
BISI: So, I usually tell my patients to seek out a second opinion, if necessary, particularly if they’re not comfortable with their primary oncologist. So they can really seek out the best treatment options and clinical trials if any are available to them. Most of the time, treating breast cancer is not an emergency. There’s usually the opportunity to wait a couple of weeks to really get the best options for you as an individual. I also tell them to take things step by step, day by day, surround themselves with a very strong social support system, call upon friends, family, acquaintances. There are lots of people that will say, “I’ve heard about your diagnosis, what can I do for you?” Ask them to actually do things; make food, bring meals home, pick kids up, just do little things because people do need help during the treatment process.
ANNOUNCER: And from a spiritual standpoint, people might have questions like: “God, why did this happen to me?” What sort of encouragement would you offer, perhaps not so much as a doctor but as a friend, to those sorts of questions?
BISI: That’s definitely one of the most common questions and I tell people that they didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just something that happened. But God really does know the beginning from the end no matter what happens to us in life, good or bad. God has a plan and He brings things to an expected and beautiful end. So even though this is a dark time in a woman’s life, there can be good come out of it.
ANNOUNCER: As we mentioned earlier, breast cancer could affect one out of every eight women. Let’s talk about the importance of early detection and prevention.
BISI: So early detection is critical. There’s no real way to prevent breast cancer for the general population. We do have ways to prevent breast cancer for those who are particularly high risk. But for the general population, early detection with getting screening mammograms is really critical because the cure rates are much higher when the stages are lower. For instance, stage 0, 1, 2, and 3 are curable and those are the ones I usually detected on mammogram. Whereas if breast cancer has spread and it’s now stage 4, in general, it’s not curable.
ANNOUNCER: Now your booklet concludes by saying that even in those cases when medicine can go no further, God still can and He has a word of hope for all those who place their trust in Christ.
BISI: Yes, through Christ’s cross and resurrection, God offers something that is greater than cancer; redemption, the promise of eternal life with Him.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Dr. Bisi. This resource is helpful in so many ways, both physically and spiritually, and it offers hope in the promises of Christ. We thank you for joining us today.
BISI: Thank you for having me.
ANNOUNCER: That’s our Action In Ministry segment for today; to bless, to empower, and to strengthen your life in Christ for others. Once again, the name of this resource is Hope and Healing: Surviving Breast Cancer. To view or download this content for free, go to lutheranhour.org and click on Action In Ministry. That’s lutheranhour.org. Or call 1-855-john316. That’s 1-855-564-6316.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for October 2, 2016
Topic: Is Faith in Jesus an Escape From Reality?ANNOUNCER: Is faith in Jesus an escape from reality? That’ll be our question today for Pastor Gregory Seltz. I’m Mark Eischer. This brings to mind that famous quote, “Religion is the opium of the people.” So, the question is: is faith an escape from reality?
SELTZ: Wow. Our listener asks that challenging question very well, Mark. I like the alternatives offered by inquiry. Think about it: either faith is an escape from reality or it addresses the full reality we face.
ANNOUNCER: Let’s test each of those alternatives out.
SELTZ: Let’s do it. Let’s do a little thought experiment. Sometimes faith in the Savior God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-is characterized, as our listener asked, as a way to avoid real issues. It’s called fantasy, anesthesia for life’s real issues. Karl Marx is the one who called it the “opiate of the people.”
ANNOUNCER: He felt it was a drug that robbed people of sound thinking and thoughtful action.
SELTZ: Right, but let me ask you, Mark, what are some of the foundational principles of faith in our Savior? Tell me some leading tenets of the faith.
ANNOUNCER: Two of the main ones are the doctrines of sin and grace. God’s law shows us our sin and the book of Ephesians tells us that we are dead in those sins.
SELTZ: Very good. But, let me just stop you right there. Let’s use sin as an escape from reality test. From cover to cover the Word of God is bold about this teaching. Jesus quoted the Scriptures when He said we are required to be holy-perfect and flawless in the eyes of God. The Word of God goes on to say that nobody is righteous-none of us. In fact, the Bible is absolutely brutal about assessing our broken human situation apart from God. Tell me, does this sound like an opiate of the people or an escape from reality?
ANNOUNCER: No, it’s exactly the opposite. Instead of soothing us with the sweet assurances that we’re all okay, we’re basically nice people; God’s Word confronts us with the reality of the headlines we read every day; the reality of the fallen, human, sinful condition.
SELTZ: Exactly. And that challenging teaching about sin is a foundation for faith in God. Faith is not an escape from reality. It is a clear and it’s a true confrontation with reality.
ANNOUNCER: And when you get right down to it, the world seems to offer more in the way of escapes and opiates than faith does. It’s not uncommon to hear someone say, “You can do anything you set your mind to do,” “Human potential is limitless.” When you think about those kinds of phrases, they are well meaning, but they’re not true. They deny the struggle that we face and the real limits that we all face.
SELTZ: And the most common limit of all that we face is death. That’s another teaching of the faith. We will all die.
ANNOUNCER: But then what about the grace part, the Gospel part?
SELTZ: The grace part has everything to do with reality, too. God’s grace is not a pie-in-the sky, feel-good teaching to help everyone forget about the reality of sin. The teachings of grace confront sin with the painful and eternal devastating suffering and death of Jesus on the cross in our place.
ANNOUNCER: God’s great love for us is not a lightweight or escapist teaching.
SELTZ: No way. God’s love meant the destruction of His Beloved Son instead of us so we could be rescued from the devastation of our unholiness and imperfection. There is an enormity to God’s grace that is unmatched in this world.
ANNOUNCER: And even though we’ve barely scratched the surface, we’ve already seen that this argument that faith is an escape, it’s already falling apart.
SELTZ: Absolutely. In fact, faith is about complete reality. The culture presents us with passing charms and temporary ideologies. Philosophy has limits. Politics, as we’ve seen, can’t solve the deeper problems of human existence. Humanly contrived religions promote errant thinking of our egotistical aspirations. Here it comes, faith in the true God, the One Who entered our world, Who walks with us, Who lived and died and rose again for us, that’s as real as it gets.
ANNOUNCER: God pulls no punches as He brings us the truth of His Word. We find that our very lives depend on it.
SELTZ: Yes, He loves us too much to spin it, right? Look at every teaching of faith, you will find the most meaningful, substantive realities ever known.
ANNOUNCER: And with that we come to the end of our program for another week. We thank you, the listener, for making this program part of your day. We hope you’ll join us again next time. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.“I Know My Faith is Founded” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)
“Who Trusts in God a Strong Abode” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)