Many cultures thrive on foods that ferment for months or sometimes years. For foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, even a great wine or fine cheese, time is a critical factor. The tastiest, and many times most beneficial for our health take TIME. And those who have learned to appreciate it are blessed.
These days it has become conventional wisdom to comment on (or complain about) our culture of instant gratification. Yet in this deteriorating world situation the question, "How long O Lord?" is becoming more understandable each passing day. The biblical prophet Habakkuk issued a deeply resonant heart-cry:
“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? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. ” [Hab.1:2-4]
God's timing was the prophet's complaint...."Too long, LORD!" In his day, the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel had already taken place. And in just a few short years the Babylonian invasion and the destruction of the Temple would follow. Yet witnessing the wickedness of his own people in their generation Habbakuk agonizes, “How long O Lord? Evil abounds! Where is your righteous judgment?"
Here is God’s response to Habbakuk... and I love this: “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” [Hab. 1:5]
"Joseph was sold as a slave. They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons, until the time of his word came to pass"; [Ps. 105:18-19]. And, "The end of a matter is better than its beginning. Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit; [Ecclesiastes 7:8]. He has made everything beautiful in its time"; [Ecclesiastes 3:11].
Yes, things look bleak. Yes, evil is rampant. But God is doing a work. He is not surprised by what is happening. He is not panicking or trying to figure out what to do next. He has had a purpose and plan and has been preparing it from the beginning of time. And in the end, it will be perfection.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]We are called to be servants, are we not? Well, what does a servant do? He (or she) carries out the will of his master. A servant doesn’t tell his master what to do — he performs whatever tasks the master requests of him. A servant doesn’t choose what days or times it’s most convenient to serve his master. A servant’s function is simply to follow and obey his master’s instructions. A servant does not develop a vision for the master either. The master is the one with the vision — and he wants his servants to be ready and available to carry out that vision and bring it to fruition.
David is called a “man after God’s own heart.” Considering that he lusted after his neighbor’s wife, committed adultery with her, and had her husband murdered, the Lord’s description of him is remarkable. How could a man who was convicted a murderer and an adulterer also be called one after God’s own heart?
“Break up your fallow ground.” In this context, the Lord is referring to breaking up the ground overrun with weeds and thorns creating a hardness to produce righteous fruit.
This passage in Isaiah contains a poetic play on words which is lost to any reader but one who understands Hebrew. A word for word translation runs something like this: “If not you will believe (lo ta-aminoo), surely not you will be established (lo te-amenoo).” The three letter Hebrew root – “aleph”- “mem”- “nun”, is the same in both words, and the Holy Spirit through the prophet Isaiah is clearly playing on this root to emphasize His point. The same root letters are also used in the spelling for the familiar word “Amen” which literally means “truthfully”.
Momentum is simply the force or speed of movement that carries an object to its final destination. If you want to break through, you need to have a certain amount of momentum. In order for a rocket to blast into space, it needs tremendous momentum to break the gravitational barrier – but with the enormous power of jet engines and rocket fuel the ship is propelled faster and faster till it breaks free of the earth’s gravitational pull.
As we press in closer to the Lord and His calling on our lives, the enemy becomes more and more fierce, throwing all kinds of darts of fear and doubt our way. But as beloved children of God, we can trust the Lord to defend us! God has an invisible army all around, ready to protect us in our times of need. When the battle intensifies, when the enemy seems to be attacking from every side, when it seems all too great for our eyes, know that the Lord has placed His protection all around you! We may not see it — but we must walk by faith!
When the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians, he was speaking to a church that was surrounded with sexual immorality. The city of Corinth was a haven of hedonism where many temples hosted hundreds of prostitutes which were visited by vast multitudes of foreigners. In the ancient world, the term “Corinthianize” indicated a life of sexual promiscuity.