Daily Worship (Oct 26)

Habakkuk 1:2–5 (NIV)
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?
3 Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.
4 Therefore the law is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted.
5 “Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.”

Devotional Thought
Faith is not the absence of questions—it’s the decision to bring your questions to God instead of walking away. Habakkuk looked around and saw a world full of violence, corruption, and injustice. It seemed like God was silent. His heart ached, and he didn’t hide that from God. Instead, he cried out, “How long, Lord?”

God’s response surprised him: He was doing something far bigger than Habakkuk could understand. The Lord was already at work, even through difficult and confusing circumstances. This teaches us that faith begins with honesty but ends with trust. When life feels unfair, when evil seems to win, or when prayers seem unanswered, God still reigns.

The gospel shows us this most clearly at the cross. When Jesus was crucified, it looked like injustice had won—but God was working salvation through suffering. Like Habakkuk, we may not see God’s plan right away, but faith means believing He is good, wise, and at work for our redemption.

COMMA Questions

• Context: How does Habakkuk’s opening complaint set the stage for the rest of his dialogue with God?
• Observation: What emotions or questions stand out in Habakkuk’s cry to God?
• Meaning: What does God’s response in verse 5 teach us about His control over world events?
• Main Idea: How does this passage show that faith can exist even when we don’t understand what God is doing?
• Application: What situation in your life feels confusing right now, and how can you trust that God is still working through it?

Prayer
Lord, when the world feels unfair and You seem silent, help me to trust that You are still in control. Give me faith to bring my honest questions to You and to rest in Your wisdom and goodness. Thank You that through Jesus, You turned the greatest injustice into our salvation. Amen.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 (NIV)
2 Then the Lord replied:
“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay.
4 See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness.”

Devotional Thought
Waiting is one of the hardest parts of faith. Habakkuk stood at his watchtower, eager for answers, and God told him to wait. The vision was sure—it would come—but not yet. In the waiting, God drew a clear contrast: the proud live by sight and self-confidence, but the righteous live by faith.

This verse becomes one of the great themes of the entire Bible. Paul quotes it in Romans and Galatians to show that we are made right with God not by our works but by trusting in His grace. We don’t earn God’s favor; we receive it through faith in Christ. That same faith also sustains us as we wait for God’s promises to unfold.

Faith doesn’t mean pretending life is easy—it means believing that God keeps His word. The gospel teaches us that Jesus waited too: He trusted the Father through suffering, death, and the silence of the tomb. When the resurrection came, every promise proved true.

If you are in a season of waiting, remember: God’s timing is perfect, and His promises never fail. The righteous live by faith—by trusting the One who is faithful.

COMMA Questions

• Context: Why does God tell Habakkuk to “write down the revelation”?
• Observation: What two kinds of people are contrasted in verse 4?
• Meaning: What does it mean that “the righteous will live by his faithfulness”?
• Main Idea: How does this passage reveal what true faith looks like when we are waiting?
• Application: Where is God asking you to wait and trust His promises instead of rushing ahead?

Prayer
Faithful God, help me to trust You when Your promises seem slow in coming. Teach me to live not by sight but by faith. Thank You for Jesus, who waited in perfect trust and brought salvation through His faithfulness. Strengthen my heart to believe that Your timing and Your ways are always good. Amen.

Habakkuk 3:17–19 (NIV)
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.

Devotional Thought
This is one of the most powerful declarations of faith in the Bible. Habakkuk began his book crying out in confusion, but he ends it singing in confidence. Nothing in his circumstances had changed—crops failed, animals were gone, and famine was near—but Habakkuk’s heart had changed. He had learned to rejoice in God Himself, not in what God gives.

This is the heart of living by faith. True joy is not rooted in comfort, success, or control—it’s rooted in the Lord who saves us. When everything else falls apart, we can still rejoice because Jesus is our Savior, our strength, and our song.

At the cross, Jesus lost everything so that we might gain eternal life. Because He was faithful even unto death, we can stand secure even when life feels unstable. The same God who made Habakkuk’s feet sure will also give you strength to walk through your valleys. Faith doesn’t deny pain—it delights in a Savior who is greater than it.

COMMA Questions

• Context: How does this passage serve as the conclusion to Habakkuk’s prayer and the whole book?
• Observation: What physical and emotional losses does Habakkuk describe?
• Meaning: What does it mean to “rejoice in the Lord” when everything else fails?
• Main Idea: How does this passage show that true faith rejoices in God, not in circumstances?
• Application: How can you find joy in God even when life doesn’t go the way you planned?

Prayer
Lord, You are my joy and my strength. Even when life feels empty or uncertain, help me to rejoice in You. Thank You that Jesus lost everything so that I might gain You forever. Make my feet steady on the heights and my heart full of faith in Your goodness. Amen.