When Shall I call upon my Lord

Habakkuk 3:17-19New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁷ Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
¹⁸ Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
¹⁹ The Lord God is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.

One of the most important aspect of our life is to praise the lord at all times. In the above verses from  Habakkuk - The author says the same thing.

If this is what the man who got the two talents thought everything would have been good to him. 

The Parable of Ten Talents..

Matthew 25:14-30English Standard Version (ESV)

The Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants^[a] and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷ So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.^[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

God views our lives very differently, as Jesus said about the Poor Widow's offering or about the Rich fool Man in the parable and in many other instances.

God considers what we have achieved with what has been given to us and measures our success by his own methods, not as per the world standards, as comparing others with financial, positional or other ways.

The offering of the Widow...

Mark 12:41-44New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Widow’s Mite

⁴¹ And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting ^[a]money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. ⁴² A poor widow came and put in two ^[b]small copper coins, which amount to a ^[c]cent. ⁴³ Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them,“Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all ^[d]the contributors to the treasury; ⁴⁴ for they all put in out of their ^[e]surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, ^[f]all she had to live on.”

The Rich fool...

Luke 12:13-21New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Covetousness Denounced

¹³ Someone ^[a]in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” ¹⁶ And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. ¹⁷ And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night ^[b]your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ ²¹ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

The Rich Man And the Lazarus....

Luke 16:19-31New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. ²⁰ And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, ²¹ and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. ²² Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels toAbraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴ And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember thatduring your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. ²⁶ And ^[a]besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

The Rich Man Zacchaeus,,,

Luke 19:1-10New King James Version (NKJV)

Jesus Comes to Zacchaeus’ House

19 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. ² Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him,^[a] and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” ⁶ So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. ⁷ But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

⁸ Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; ¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

By all these people and by all means, God teaches us that we are to be accountable for our actions. We have to take initiative to follow his footsteps by obeying his word, to be like him.

When David was in difficult situations, he called upon the Lord.

When Peter was sinking into the deep water, he called upon God, "Jesus, Save me"....

When Paul was persecuted and punished, he called upon God.

It is easier to call upon God when things go good with us, but the most important aspect of our life is to call unto him all the times. 

Romans 8:15 NIV

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Galatians 4:6 NIV

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."

The risen John? - Mark 6:14-29

This was the question that made King Herod feel distressed about, when he heard about Jesus. In Mark chapter 6 there is this account of Herod. Who knew about John the baptist (as righteous and holy), as said in the verse 20 -  knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. 

Mark 6:14-29New International Version (NIV)

John the Baptist Beheaded

14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,[a] “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”

16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled[b]; yet he liked to listen to him.

21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of[c] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Some of the most important aspects of King Herod is the same with many of the sinful nature of a man.

Willpower over God's will:

The aspect of his promise and his compromise on it is very evident that though knowing the truth he was led by his own willpower.  

Jesus said in the parable of the two sons, that whoever does the will of the Father is greater than the one who does not do. Jesus finishes by saying what John did for the kingdom of God: v 38 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.

Matthew 21:28-32New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Jesus also reminds that who will be his brother and sister and mother:

Matthew 12:50 niv

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Knowing the truth and doing according to the deceit:

When King Herod knew what his daughter had asked, he could have rebuked her and did what was right, but he could't because he thought breaking the promise compromises with the situation. 

James 4:17 NIV

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.

Herod attitude towards life and sin is very evident that all his actions corresponds with his intentions:

First his act was corrupt: Marrying his brother's wife:

He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him.

The Second act of misjudgment:

He taught that arresting John could solve his problems.

 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.

The Third act of falling off from the deceitfulness and seduction of his daughter:

21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of[c] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The Fourth act of Murder:

He finally broke the commandment: 

Exodus 20:13 NIV

"You shall not murder.

The chain of sin sometimes leads to a very destructive and negative way, as like the way this king has been led by his own willpower - he first tried to do something that is out of the will of God, Second he tried to control it, then he did things to overcome it, but ultimately he failed miserably. That is why Sin at the root level has to be destroyed.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 NIV

When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people's hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.