Do you ever ask God, “Why?” This Old Testament prophet asked God that question. And what we learn is that it is okay to ask, with respect and reverence. God is in control, and He will do as He wills to do.

This troubled man of God who dared to question the almight is, perhaps, my favorite of the concise prophets. Just three short chapters, which are filled with timeless truths. Perhaps the key verse is found in Chapter 2 Verse 4b — “The righteous will live by his faith.” That verse is quoted in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38.

Other well-known and favorite verses are:

2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”

2:20 “The Lord is in his holy temple let all the earth be silent before him.”

3:2 “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

3:3b, 4 “His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the surise; rays flashed from his had, where his power was hidden.”

3:17, 18 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”