READ: HABAKKUK 1:1-11; 2:3, 14; 3:11-19; REVELATION 21:1-5

Ever heard of Habakkuk? This book of the Bible isn’t preached on or discussed very often, which is a shame because it’s a fantastic gem in Scripture. Like the other eleven minor prophet books, Habakkuk provides a snapshot of Israel’s history, one that reveals not only God’s plan but also relates to us today.

The prophet Habakkuk prays a prayer I think many of us have uttered at some point: “How long, LORD, must I call for help?” (Habakkuk 1:2). Simple. Direct. Clear.

Lord, we’re in trouble here. When are You going to step in and help us?

God answers, but not how Habakkuk wanted. God raises up the Chaldean army, the ultimate fighting machine, to invade Judah and imprison the Israelites living there.

Huh? How is that an answer to Habakkuk’s prayer? He wanted an end to the pain, and yet it looked like God was going to make the situation worse. Enslavement by the mighty Chaldeans seemed the unlikeliest solution of all. What Habakkuk didn’t know was that the Chaldeans were merely an object in God’s plan to save His people.

Fast forward 600 years. Israel is awaiting a Messiah, one who would deliver them from their suffering. At that time, it was no longer the Chaldeans who oppressed them but the Romans. So the Israelites wanted a mighty warrior, the ultimate fighting machine who would propel them to victory. Instead, they received Jesus, a wandering rabbi and His ragtag group of followers. Their hopes ended at Calvary, where Jesus hung on a cross and died.

What they didn’t know is that the only means of deliverance—which is what they had been waiting for—was the Messiah’s death, not His army. Jesus’s work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead give us hope now and forever. He was and is our answer to the question, “How long?” • Mike Hurley

• Have you had a situation that made you ask, “How long?” God invites us to be totally honest with Him about how badly suffering hurts us and what we want Him to do about it. He sees, and He cares—so much so that Jesus came to conquer sin and death to save us. So now, we can look forward to the day Jesus will return. Then there will be no more sin or suffering or death (Revelation 21:1-5). In the meantime, we can rest knowing that He loves us and promises to be with us, strengthening us even in hard times. How does knowing Jesus give us hope in suffering?

How long, LORD, must I call for help and you do not listen or cry out to you about violence and you do not save? Habakkuk 1:2 (CSB)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 14:26-27; 15:10-13; 1 JOHN 4:7-19

I was already asleep when my grandpa called, asking for help with Grandma’s diaper. I don’t feel especially loving when sleep-deprived, but the quiet stirring of God’s Spirit within me assured me what the next step was. I slipped on a sweater and puddle boots and stumbled down the darkened dirt road between our house and their snug log home.

With barely open eyes, I pushed open the door into Grammy’s room. She only weighed ninety pounds at that time, but it’s hard to lift someone when they don’t have strength to help.

My cousin and I got Grammy cleaned up and settled in bed. Her osteoporosis was so bad we had to prop the pillows and blankets around her twisted form to make her comfy. There was no way for her to lie straight.

The next night they didn’t need me. Grammy didn’t wake from her deep and quiet slumber. She didn’t wake the next day either. Only once after that late night did she stir, when I stopped by and brushed her white hair off her forehead to give her a kiss and say, “I love you.” She blinked weary eyes at me and said, “I love you too, Honey Girl.” She died the next morning.

Waking to go and help my grandma when she was in need made me so grumpy at the time. Yet, the still small voice of God’s Spirit urged me on, and so I went. As I walk by her house today and miss her—miss having tea from real china cups at her one-hundred-year-old oak table and hearing her urge me to take just one more cookie—what brings me the most joy is knowing our last exchange was one of love.

That late night, it was the Holy Spirit who urged and sustained my reluctant spirit onward. While it was tempting to ignore His call to show love to Grammy, I followed His gentle leading. When we obey—walking in the love of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit—we find true joy. Grammy taught me that. • Kristen Joy Wilks

• How does the truth of the good news of Jesus help us show love? How can loving others show Christ’s love for all of us?

• Have you ever felt a prompting from the Holy Spirit to show God’s love to someone? How can we know when a prompting is from the Holy Spirit? Who are trusted Christians you can talk to about this?

We love each other because he [Jesus] loved us first. 1 John 4:19 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 15:11-32; COLOSSIANS 1:11-14; 2:13-15; 1 JOHN 1:9–2:1

There was no going back. Talia took a step forward, reached out, and grabbed the berry. It was as black as night, blacker than any berry in her home realm, and plump with juice.

“What are you waiting for?” the mage asked.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “Was my life really all that bad?”

“Your father was keeping you from being happy, right?”

Talia shrugged and looked away. “I don’t know. I’ve lived in this dark realm for too long. All I can remember is how much he loved me.” A tear trailed down her cheek, and she wondered where it came from.

“Take a bite. You’ll forget all that once more.”

She lowered the hand holding the berry and looked behind her, down the path from which she had come.

“It’s too late for that,” the mage said. “You knew the deal. Once you accepted my offer, you abandoned that life. There is no way back.”

Another tear fell, and she took a shuddering breath. “I want to go home. I made a mistake.”

He laughed. “You are home, girl. Enough of this. Eat the berry. I’ve other things to do, you know.”

She glared at him. “You tricked me. You promised I would be happy here.”

“Tricked you? You knew exactly what you were doing when you followed me.”

She closed her eyes. It was true. Her father had warned her to stay away from the dark mage. “I was wrong, Father,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

Then, as though carried on the breeze, she heard His voice.

Return to me.

Even here, in this dark realm, the power of her father’s love called to her. It wasn’t too late.

Facing the mage once more, she released the berry. It fell on the path and burst, its poisonous juices burning the ground like acid.

He stepped forward and grabbed her arm. “You can’t defy me. You belong to me.”

“Not anymore.” Wrenching her arm free, she turned and ran down the path, the power of her father’s love protecting her and guiding her steps.

She was going home. • Jessica McFarland

• Have you ever felt like Talia in today’s allegorical story—that you had gone too far for God’s love to reach you? Bad decisions can lead us to dangerous places. But Jesus always comes for us, always offers us a way home. He died and rose again to forgive us and set us free from sin. Because of His powerful love, we can choose to reject the sins we thought we wanted, and we can listen to His voice instead (Psalm 119:32). Are there any sins you want to give up, but you feel stuck in? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about these, asking Him to show you how He is providing a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:14-16). In addition to talking to Jesus, who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to about this—people who will listen with compassion, encourage you in your walk with Jesus, and pray with you and for you?

• Sin is very powerful, but God’s love and Jesus’s sacrifice are even stronger. What does Colossians 2:13-15 reveal about our sin and God’s power?

• If you want to know more about how Jesus rescues us from sin and death, and what it means to put your trust in Him, see our "Know Jesus" page.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (WEB)

READ: JOHN 8:1-11; ROMANS 3:23-24

I don’t even know why we need to have this conversation. Although I didn’t say that thought out loud, my eyebrows slanted halfway toward my nose and my arms wrapped tightly around my chest declared exactly what I was thinking.

Why in the world we had to have a discussion about what music we listened to in youth group, my sophomore self couldn’t figure out. I’d shunned anything under a secular label and only listened to Christian hip hop if I felt edgy that day. Hadn’t I already checked off the box for listening to God-honoring music? So, why did I have to endure this talk?

A girl with curly hair that went to her knees hugged her legs. “To be honest, I really struggle with this. A lot of the music I listen to swears left and right, and I’ve just become numb to it. I’m not even thinking about what the words mean.”

Another boy in a hoodie seconded a reply. “If I really think about it, the way some singers talk about women in the music I listen to…” He shook his head, ears a slight scarlet. “Let’s just say, my mom’s not in my room when my Spotify’s up.”

Three others spoke about their struggles with music that glorified everything from drug overdose to all manner of things that happened behind closed doors. Oh.

I unraveled my arms and let my shoulders relax. Why was I being judgmental about this when I struggled with my own kind of music? Sure, it may not have come from a Spotify playlist, but on a regular basis, I listened to plenty of tunes called Jealousy, Pride, Anger Problems, and the occasional Gossip. And to be honest, I didn’t want my mom in my room when I played that playlist.

Why did I want to throw stones, when we all played the same music of sin? • Hope Bolinger

• When some religious leaders were getting ready to stone a woman who was caught in the act of adultery, Jesus said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her” (John 8:7). Then, one by one, everyone dropped their stones and left. Jesus is the only one who is without sin, and He loves us sinners so much that He died on the cross so we could be forgiven. The truth is, every kind of sin is bad for us, but Jesus has come to set us free. How does knowing that we all sin, and we all need Jesus’s grace, help us view ourselves and others with compassion instead of condemnation?

But when they continued asking him [Jesus], he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.” John 8:7 (WEB)

READ: GENESIS 18:1-15; 21:1-3; HEBREWS 11:11

Have you ever trusted a friend and then found out they were not trustworthy? Maybe you confided in them, spilling your guts about something personal. And, even though your friend promised to keep it to themselves, they didn’t. Or maybe you’ve been an untrustworthy friend to someone else.

When someone has broken the trust of another, it’s a serious problem. It can damage and even destroy relationships. Some people never get over the hurt broken trust has brought them.

Another lamentable consequence of broken trust is that we tend to view our relationship with God like we view our relationships with friends and family members who have mistreated us. Because people have broken our trust—and we’ve broken theirs—we think, Maybe God is the same way.

In Genesis 18, God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would become parents, but Sarah laughed when she heard this. After all, Sarah was ninety, and Abraham was one hundred. Perhaps Sarah thought He meant well, but He would probably turn out to be like some of her friends, who just wanted to comfort her or say the right thing but ultimately weren’t reliable.

Yet, in verse 14, God makes it clear He keeps His promises: “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

A year later, guess who had a son?

We live in a broken world where people let us down, but thankfully, we can learn to separate how people sometimes act from how God always acts. God’s promises may seem too good to be true, but 2 Corinthians 1:20 says that all His promises are fulfilled in Jesus. Even His promise to create life from Sarah’s dead womb points forward to His promise to raise Jesus from the dead—and then to raise all His people from the dead when Jesus returns (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can be in relationship with God. And as we get to know Jesus, we find that God is always trustworthy, and we can count on Him. • Susan Grant

• Why is trust so important in relationships?

• In what ways have people broken your trust? How have you broken others’ trust? Consider taking some time to bring these things to Jesus. In His trustworthy love, we find healing and wholeness.

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 18:1-15; 21:1-3; HEBREWS 11:11

Have you ever trusted a friend and then found out they were not trustworthy? Maybe you confided in them, spilling your guts about something personal. And, even though your friend promised to keep it to themselves, they didn’t. Or maybe you’ve been an untrustworthy friend to someone else.

When someone has broken the trust of another, it’s a serious problem. It can damage and even destroy relationships. Some people never get over the hurt broken trust has brought them.

Another lamentable consequence of broken trust is that we tend to view our relationship with God like we view our relationships with friends and family members who have mistreated us. Because people have broken our trust—and we’ve broken theirs—we think, Maybe God is the same way.

In Genesis 18, God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would become parents, but Sarah laughed when she heard this. After all, Sarah was ninety, and Abraham was one hundred. Perhaps Sarah thought He meant well, but He would probably turn out to be like some of her friends, who just wanted to comfort her or say the right thing but ultimately weren’t reliable.

Yet, in verse 14, God makes it clear He keeps His promises: “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

A year later, guess who had a son?

We live in a broken world where people let us down, but thankfully, we can learn to separate how people sometimes act from how God always acts. God’s promises may seem too good to be true, but 2 Corinthians 1:20 says that all His promises are fulfilled in Jesus. Even His promise to create life from Sarah’s dead womb points forward to His promise to raise Jesus from the dead—and then to raise all His people from the dead when Jesus returns (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can be in relationship with God. And as we get to know Jesus, we find that God is always trustworthy, and we can count on Him. • Susan Grant

• Why is trust so important in relationships?

• In what ways have people broken your trust? How have you broken others’ trust? Consider taking some time to bring these things to Jesus. In His trustworthy love, we find healing and wholeness.

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 6:8; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7; 1 PETER 5:7

The other day, I was so frustrated. I had misplaced three things that were important to me and my family. One was my bank card. I always put it back in my purse, but for some reason it wasn’t in there, and neither was my paycheck, which I hadn’t taken out since I got it. Finally, the last thing was my earbuds. I know, I know—they aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things, but I start most mornings with a walk while listening to my favorite music, and these earbuds were a gift, so losing them had some emotional weight too. I hadn’t been robbed, so I knew these three things were around my house... somewhere.

After a few days, I was ready to give up. It was early morning; I was about to miss another walk. Finally, I remembered God cares about what I care about…but I hesitated. What I cared about, especially my earbuds, weren’t important to the rest of the world. However, I took it to God and let Him know how minor I knew these things were before I asked for His help to find them.

Within five minutes, I found my earbuds! I then had a peaceful walk that boosted my day. After walking, I had an idea where my check might be. Remembering my purse had fallen once, I realized it was possible that it fell out. I found my check hidden under something on the floor! I checked my jacket pockets for my bank card and found it immediately.

After I gave my small problems to God, He turned things around within a few hours. He always wants us to ask Him for help. We might think our lives are miniscule compared to the things He must be dealing with right now, but in truth, God cares for every little thing we care about—because He cares for us. • Jordyn Johnson

• Can you think of a time you asked God for help with something? What happened?

• Why do you think we often try to fix our problems on our own before going to God? Consider taking some time to talk to God about whatever you need today, even if it seems small.

• As Christians, we will experience times when we ask God to help us in a particular way, but He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we hoped. Why can we still rest knowing that God loves us and will provide for us? How does Jesus give us this assurance? (If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 8:28-39; Philippians 4:11-13; Revelation 21:1-5)

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 2:2-3; EXODUS 20:8-11; MATTHEW 11:28–12:8

Life’s busy—we all know that. Between school, friends, part-time jobs, and extracurriculars, by the end of the day, we’re burned out. And then we have to start homework.

God knows our lives are busy. That’s why He created Sabbath. God invented all kinds of rhythms in nature. Night and day, the different seasons, and the tides of the ocean all show patterns in creation. The cycle of work and rest is another one of those patterns.

In the beginning, God showed us how to schedule rest into our hectic lives. In Genesis 2, it says God not only rested on the seventh day of creation, but He also “blessed the seventh day and made it holy” (verse 3). God even takes it one step further: rest gets its own commandment in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11).

Jesus did not die for us so we could work until we burn out. Jesus died and rose again to save us, and because of His sacrifice, we can live joy-filled lives in the rhythm of God’s grace. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, He teaches us to live in a pattern of work and rest, acknowledging that, as created humans, we are dependent on our Creator (Psalm 127:1-2).

So how do we practice Sabbath? The simple answer is, we plan ahead. It might sound difficult to think a whole week ahead, but it makes finding time to rest much easier.

Next, find something that is restful to you. That might mean taking a nap or going for a hike, but whatever it is, it should be rooted in restfulness.

Finally, seek God in your rest. Taking a Sabbath is a great way to recenter ourselves on Jesus. In pausing from work and busyness, we remember we can trust Him enough to take a break. This is why Christians typically gather once a week. Together, we can remember that Jesus is the one who gives us rest. • Naomi Zylstra

• What activities do you find restful? How could you plan to practice Sabbath this week?

• Different Christian churches meet together on different days of the week, and our personal days of rest might fall on a different day than the day we go to church (just ask any pastor!). According to Colossians 2:13-17, why are we free in Christ to rest and gather on different days?

• In Matthew 11:28–12:8, Jesus reveals He is Lord of the Sabbath. He doesn’t simply offer us rest, He is rest. In fact, this is the picture of Jesus we see in Revelation 21:4—He is the one wiping away our tears and healing our pain. If you want to dig deeper, read Hebrews 3:11–4:11.

[Jesus said,] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)