One could only wish…Have you ever seen a pocket New Testament paired with the Old Testament books of Leviticus and Habakkuk? I know I haven’t. These diminutive mini-me sized New Testaments are always paired with Psalms and Proverbs because those are the two books of the Old Testament that are helpful through all the seasons of life and are often frequented by Christians. The Bible does such a great job reflecting real life. It doesn’t gloss over problems, failures and pain but it also doesn’t paint a picture of hopeless gloom and doom either. One reason the psalms are so popular is because no matter where you find yourself in life there is something there that resonates with the raw emotion of your current situation. One interesting fact about the psalms is that there are just as many praise psalms as there are lament psalms…talk about balance. I often wonder if we are far too concerned over bothering God too much. If the psalms are any indication maybe He wants to be “bothered” by us more often than we like to think. I think Walter Brueggemann said it best, “It is a curious fact that the church has, by and large, continued to sing songs of orientation in a world increasingly experienced as disoriented.” I think we could say the same thing about our prayer lives…that far too often we pray “right side up” prayers when our world seems “upside down.” If the Bible itself serves as an example in this then one message it might be trying to tell us is that God would actually like to hear how we really feel even if everything isn’t so rosey.
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Matt Dabbs
April 10, 2024
0 Responses
Matt,
You’re absolutely right. I believe it pleases God beyond our belief when we go to Him genuinely in our circumstances with our questions and “[not] so rosey” conditions.
Preach on brother.
Steve Valentine
How about a Pocket New Testament with Deuteronomy and Ecclesiastes?
Good post.
Matt, Habakkuk would be good to have! 2:4 gave me a new understanding of Romans – It is first and formost God’s faithfulness – not human faithfulness – that saved and saves! – and what about his prayer, esp 3:17-18; also 3:19, if one understands the difference between how the deer on the heights walk in comparrison with the dear deer of the plain plains!
Habakkuk is one of my favorite minor prophets…probably right behind Hosea
Matt,
As usual, good thoughts. As I thought about your post, I thought Habakkuk would be good to have! 2:4 gave me a new understanding of Romans. Isn’t Paul saying that It is first and formost God’s faithfulness throughout history – not human faithfulness – that saved and saves!? – and what about Hab’s prayer, esp 3:17-18; also 3:19, if one understands the difference between how the deer on the heights walk in comparrison with the dear deer of the plain plains!
As to Deuteronomy – didn’t Jesus make good use of it?
Balance is the key.
Thanks for reminding us.