God’s Surprises

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: God’s Surprises ------------------- Date: 3/6/2002
Keywords: "surprise"
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Passage: Habakkuk 1:1-5*

1. The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

2. How long, O Lord, will I call for help,
And Thou wilt not hear?
I cry out to Thee, "Violence!"
Yet Thou dost not save.

3. Why dost Thou make me see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, destruction and violence are before me;
Strife exists and contention arises.

4. Therefore, the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore, justice comes out perverted.

5. "Look among the nations! Observe!
Be astonished! Wonder!
Because I am doing something in your days--
You would not believe if you were told.

Questions

Some background might help here. God promised the Hebrew prophet Habakkuk that He was going to do something so surprising — but so JUST — that Habakkuk would not believe it if he were told. He is going to punish Israel for her sinfulness by raising up the wicked Babylonians (Chaldeans) against her. Habakkuk goes on to protest, "But they are more wicked than we are, Lord!"

1. In verses 2-4, Habakkuk cries out for God to "take action," "do something." What has Israel done, according to these verses, to merit God’s judgment?

 

2. What do you think Habakkuk might have expected God to do in response to His people’s sin?

 

Practical help

Habakkuk’s prophecy provides a helpful lesson to God’s people who wish He would do something, pray that He would do something, but are not quite prepared for the action that He takes in response to wrongs people commit.

Have you ever wished, or prayed, that God would "do something" say, with respect to your chronic porn habit? Do you think God’s response to you might be similarly surprising to the response Habakkuk received when he asked God to "do something"? What surprising thing might God do?

He might orchestrate things in such a way that your habit is uncovered by someone you deeply respect, leading to your disgrace. That would be a surprisingly (seemingly) unkind way for God to act! But it might get your attention and lead to your quitting smut!

Or, He might (seemingly) do nothing. That would be the most sobering response of all. However, for God to do NOTHING — take away neither the desire you have for porn nor your access to it, He might be communicating SOMETHING else to you. By doing nothing of the overtly miraculous variety, God might be saying to you that you already have what it takes to cease and desist from your despicable habit. Your possession of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and your fellowship with Christians in the church are resources He expects you to use in your fight against pornography.

It is really not so surprising after all, then, that God would do nothing to rescue you, seeing that He has already done so much for you! Of course, He still might intervene in an overt way. Just don’t be surprised if He doesn’t…

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."