Waiting for a Blessing

Hey, welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

The reading for today titled Waiting for a Blessing was written by James Banks. A popular restaurant in Bangkok serves soup from a broth that has been cooking for 45 years and is replenished a bit each day. The practice, called perpetual stew, dates back to medieval times. Just as some leftovers taste better a few days later, the extended cooking time blends and creates unique flavors.

The restaurant has won multiple awards for the most delicious broth in Thailand. Good things often take time, but our human nature struggles with patience. The question, how long, occurs throughout the Bible. One poignant example is from the prophet Habakkuk, who begins his book by asking, How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Habakkuk, whose name means scrappler, prophesied God's judgment on his country, Judah, through the invasion of the ruthless Babylonian empire.

And he wrestled with how God could allow corrupt people to prosper as they exploited others. But in Habakkuk chapter 2, God promised hope and restoration in his own time. For the revelation of God's help awaits an appointed time. Though it linger, wait for it. It will certainly come and will not delay.

The Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years. By human reckoning, that's a long time, but God is always faithful and true to his word. Some of God's best blessings may be long in coming. Though they linger, keep looking to him. He prepares every blessing with perfect wisdom and care.

And he's always worth waiting for. Now let's hear the promises of God's word. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is taken from Habakkuk chapter 1 verse 12 through chapter 2 verse 4. Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my holy one, you will never die. You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment. You, my rock, have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil. You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler. The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks. He catches them in his net. He gathers them up in his dragnet. And so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore, he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet.

For by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts.

I will look to see what he will say to me and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Then the Lord replied, Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets, so that a herald may run with it. 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.

See, the enemy is puffed up. His desires are not upright. But the righteous person will live by his faithfulness. Now let's pray. O Heavenly Father, we are reminded of Paul's words in Galatians 6 when he wrote, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. With that in mind, we pray that you would help us to be persistent in our mission of serving you, and patient as we watch what you will do through us, trusting that you are indeed at work in it, and that the outcomes are in your hands. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray and trust. Amen.