Do we resemble a Holy God? Peter admonishes us to stay focused on our salvation, not on fleshly thoughts. If we think wrong, we will live wrong. He encourages us to keep a biblical perspective of what God had given us, who we are and who He is. Focus on the hope and grace we have in Jesus Christ. He reminds us to not let the world conform us back to who we used to be. Peter reminds us that because God is holy we will also be holy. In Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:7 and 20:26 God reveals that holiness cannot only be a reality but is God's standard.

These three verses speak of exaltation, expectation and excitement as we look to the mercy and grace of God. Only God alone deserves praise and adoration as we give our all to Him. He is, after all, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The saved are to praise on the basis of our salvation but there is even more yet to come. We have little idea of what we have in Christ and therefore enjoy very little of it. We have no idea of the inheritance that is ahead of us in our hope and therefore let trials dismantle us.

Can we rejoice even in the midst of difficult trials? God is trying to teach us to trust and lean on Him alone. In our humanity trials are hard, they hurt and are sorrowful but when we realize that what ever God allows or initiates, He is trying to do a good work in us. Many true Christians have the same difficulties the lost world has in walking through tough times because they don't see that God is at work; they only see the hurt. Charles Spurgeon once said that it takes little faith to take our souls to heaven but it takes great faith to bring heaven to our souls.

What does "elect according to the foreknowledge of God, the Father" mean? This statement has confused and even divided many churches. The father, Son and Holy Spirit all have a part in our salvation. Just because God knows who will be saved and who is going to reject Him does not mean that God does not give opportunity to those that will reject Him. Through creation, consciousness and conviction every man, women, boy and girl will stand before God on the basis of what they did with the light He gave them. Here we see the mercy of God, the mind of God and the manner of God as He looks into every heart.

How important is our salvation to God? It took the whole triune Godhead to make our salvation a reality. the Father thought it, the Holy Spirit wrought it and the Son brought it. If we are saved today it is because God initiated our salvation and enabled us to be saved. Could we have rejected Him? Yes. Did the Spirit of God sanctify and made us pure before God? Yes. Is obedience a natural outflow of what God did in us? And cleansed us? Yes.

Habakkuk understands the magnitude of what God was about to do. God would remove everything, in their minds, that was the source of their joy and contentment. As long as he knew that God was going to accomplish His perfect will he understood that God was greater than any of his physical needs. Joy is not resting in circumstances. Joy is resting in the Person. Joy is letting that Person work in you whereby His joy overrides the circumstances.

Here Habakkuk begins to sing about the mighty worker and not so much the mighty works as he elevates God. Habakkuk knows what God is going to do. He knows what is coming and what the outcome will be. At the same time he equally knows that his God is a mighty God and that He can use whatever is at His disposal to correct and bring Judea back to their land. He confesses that at first he had only an outward look which caused trembling and desperation within himself. Now he also confesses his upward look and could rest, patiently waiting with great trust.

Habakkuk knew that God would shake the nations and bring Israel out of Babylonian captivity as He did with Egypt. No nation can stand against God's sovereign will. But there is coming a day when God will shake the nations one last time. Here Habakkuk speaks of the care of God, the claims and control of God. Further he sings of the conquering and character of God. When you have an understanding of who God is by His Word and His Holy Spirit He will shake you if you are not saved. if you are saved, God will continue to shake you.

Here Habakkuk acknowledges and accepts what he heard from God. He is also in awe about what God said about Himself and about what God said He would do. Habakkuk's attention is not on Judea or the Chaldeans but only on God. Instead of being confused about God's ways he is now confident in God's ways. He now accepts what God is up to. He is anxious for it to take place in his lifetime but asks Him to be merciful in His wrath.

We see Habakkuk's prayer in verses 1 and 2. In verse 3 he begins a song composed of several stanzas. He begins his song singing of the presence of God, His purity and holiness, His power and penetration. He sings of the glory of God in the heavens. He knew that God was going to come, to deliver them but not before dealing with the sins of both nations.