Living in the Spirit
October 25, 2016

Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

I will stand at my watch-post,
   and station myself on the rampart;
I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,
   and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write the vision;
   make it plain on tablets,
   so that a runner may read it.
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
   it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
   it will surely come, it will not delay.
Look at the proud!
   Their spirit is not right in them,
   but the righteous live by their faith. –Habakkuk 2:1-4

Physically running is not very often a part of my life with one bum knee and the other stainless steel though I get what Habakkuk is saying here. It feels like I am always running to catch up with myself going to a meeting here, facilitating a Bible study there, shopping and preparing food for the homeless. Retirement, as well as work or raising a family, is good but busy. God instructed Habakkuk to write God’s message large, plain enough so a runner can read it when he or she passes. While God might be referring to people in a race, this instruction is targeted more at people like me and perhaps you who get so caught up in doing, even doing good, that we do not take the time to remind ourselves of the vision we are running to attain.

Keeping our eye on the vision provides substance for the establishment of our priorities. For example, if our vision is for every child to be wanted and loved by nurturing parents, our priorities must align with reducing poverty, providing for quality education, assuring adequate and accessible health care and child care, and postponing teen pregnancy. Such realities can occur in many and varying ways in homes, churches, by non-profits and, yes, by the government. Discerning the best way to enable this vision requires negotiation, compromise, trial and error, more negotiations, and more compromise. Standoffs claiming one way is the only way exacerbates the problem.

Prayer: Lord, hone our discernment and communication skills so that we can further your vision of a world ruled by love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.