Trouble was brewing in the world of Habakkuk. He did not like what he saw and complained to the Lord.
“O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!”(1:2)
The prophet knew many of the ways God had worked in the past and hoped against hope that God would miraculously rescue His people.
“O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.” (3:2).
Yet he had difficulty reconciling the wickedness of the invaders and the evil of his own people.
“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?” (1:13)
He took his search for solutions to conflicting issues to God.
1. Acknowledge our failures.
Good people do not always do good things.
John’s letter was written to followers of Jesus. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1: 8)
Habakkuk saw the sins of his people and anticipated God’s judgment at the hands of wicked people. “When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself” (3:16a).
Our prayers need to face the obvious. “God, help me face reality.” No one escapes trouble completely.
2. Accept the consequences of living in a fallen world.
Habakkuk saw the coming invaders as bearers of God’s judgment. He knew they would bring economic disaster and destruction on the land.
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:” (3:17)
Habakkuk chose to keep his faith in bad times as well as good times. He reminds us of Job. “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10)
In difficult times we can pray “God, show me how to respond when my world falls in on me.” We need to remember, God has higher purposes than merely taking away our problems.
3. Adjust our attitudes.
Habakkuk 3:18 “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
Habakkuk put his relationship with God above circumstances.
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
He knew sorrow would soon own the people’s minds. Yet he gave his attitude to the Lord.
Habakkuk 3:19 “The LORD God is my strength…”
He was confident of the sufficiency of God in the midst of whatever difficulties he would face.
We can pray, “Loving God, let my trust in You control my attitude in all things.”
4. Anticipate God’s involvement.
Habakkuk 3:19 “he will make my feet like hinds' feet…" (also Psalm 18:33)
The sure-footed deer reminded Habakkuk he could count on God’s help.
“As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” (Deuteronomy 33:25)
We can pray, “Almighty God, please see me through this mess.”
Habakkuk 3:19 “he will make me to walk upon mine high places.” Even if I’m afraid to go there.
Never doubt in the dark what God has told you in the light.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 is the Old Testament equivalent to the New Testament passage found in Philippians 4:11-13. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
At the heart of Habakkuk’s brief book he made a statement we could easily rush past.
He wrote “the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4).
The followers of Jesus Christ who live in safe places often speak about living by faith. However, when the world falls apart on us and safety and security are no longer options, we learn to trust God anyway. Difficulty breeds prayer that cannot be born in easy times, for in the tight straights of crisis all we have to hold onto is our faith in the Living God.
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