Verse of the Day – Habakkuk 2:9

“Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin!”

—Habakkuk 2:9

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Our verses are chosen this year based on their alignment with the date. So, 2/9 means we found a verse reference that is February 9 — thus Habakkuk 2:9. This challenges us to do more than “cherry pick” our favorite verses and seek to hear all of God’s words about holiness and Christ-likeness.

In our “dog eat dog” world, in our race to get to the top and leave all our rivals in the dust behind us or at the bottom of the bin of failure, God tells us both “Whoa!” and “Woe!” He tells us to stop (“Whoa!”) and realize that Kingdom values are different from worldly values — that there is no success without service in godliness. He also warns us (“Woe!”) that he will bring us to ruin if we ignore his values by placing ourselves above the well-being of others or pursuing our success at the cost of our ethics.

My Prayer…

Gracious, almighty, and righteous God, please strengthen me so that I can resist the temptation to exploit, cheat, and lie to get ahead. Dear Father, I truly want to be a person of integrity, character, and blessing. Please help me see any duplicity in my heart. I want to treat others as you have so graciously treated me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today’s Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

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