In a January 2nd devotional I read, “Only Jesus could build a bridge to God with only two pieces of wood.” The entire Bible is an invitation to be “reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). As we begin a new year, I’d like to share with you two very important invitations made by our Savior and Lord.

Sometimes what we long for at Christmas is not always what we need most. Those Rock’em Sock’em Robots did not last but a couple hours! Remember those Christmases when your kids played more with the box than the toy that came in it? And seriously, who really gets a car for Christmas? Did you make a Christmas list this year? What’s on it? I’ll bet none of the items in our message made it on your list. And yet, these might be just the things you need this Christmas. It’s not too late to add them!

Always winter, never Christmas is a dreadful thought for those of us that live in MN! Winters are long, dark and cold. We need the warmth that Christmas brings! December 21st will be the shortest day of the year with 9 hours and 20 minutes of sunshine. But after that day the daylight hours get longer. On June 21st we will have 15 hours and 2 minutes of sunshine. That’s hopeful! Always winter, never Christmas leaves one feeling hopeless. However, at just the right time God sent His son on that first Christmas (Gal 4:4) to offer hope and joy and bring light and warmth to our dark cold world.

What if you were told, in the not too distant future, the United States was going to be overthrown by Communist China and many of us would be killed and the rest taken captive and suffer tremendously? In essence, this is what God told Habakkuk. His response centers on the sovereignty of God. It's a good lesson when all hell breaks loose!

Habakkuk remembered God acts according to His attributes, he trusted and then set up a watch to wait for the answer to his question, “Why do you tolerate the treacherous?” He got his answer and in God’s “appointed time” He will bring Judgement on the wicked Babylonians. In our text, God lists the sins of the Babylonians and ironically they match the sins of the Israelites as well the people of today. God is holy and just so He must punish sin. But God is also loving and merciful and that’s why He offers grace received by faith (Hab 2:4, Eph 2:8-9)

You may not need this sermon today or this week, but file it away because someday you will! Why? Because today or someday you may…

Could God use the Russians to influence our elections?

Could God use the North Koreans or the Iranians to nuke America?

Could God use the Chinese to bankrupt America?

The answer is a resounding YES! Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in the heavens; He does all the He pleases.” There are no limits to God’s rule. This is part of what it means to be God. In Habakkuk we see that God used a very unlikely nation (the Babylonians) to accomplish His purpose for Israel. Remember, whenever God acts, He acts in a way that pleases Him! God will use all necessary means to establish His kingdom.