“Oh Lord, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear me?”
Habakkuk Chapter One starts out with these words from a minor prophet.
He goes on to ask questions like, “Are you not from everlasting, oh Lord my God, my Holy One?” And, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil…you cannot look upon wickedness”.
And can’t we relate to these rantings? To the heart cry that calls to God with questionings in our hour of need?
But unlike other books beggings or pleadings God answers his questions immediately, point for point…not leaving him lost in despair.
- And can’t we be like Habakkuk in these three Chapters…alone in our secret place turning our hearts to God amidst the turmoil taking place in front of our very own eyes?
- Can’t we beg and plead when we look on the horrors and injustice, the fires and unnecessary shootings dragging our country down?
- And can’t we too question, “God, why? Where are you?”
Habbakkuk 2:4 tells us, “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by faith.”
And can’t we forget in our past seasons of abundance and blessings that the darker things are, the more we need faith to have eyes to see from His perspective, not ours?
“Shall Live” in scripture is the word, in Hebrew, “chayah”…
Chayah’s meaning is not just to survive or get by, but “to persevere, to flourish, to enjoy life, to live in happiness, to breathe, be alive, be animated, to recover health, and to live continuously.”
And can’t it be like we are gasping for air sometimes? Clawing at the wind for something we can see to hold onto?
When God says, “faith”. It is faith we must not just strive for, but live from…
Faith in a Sovereign God, knowing that He holds us in His hand, He in fact knows the plan for tomorrow when the whole world’s growing dim.
And friends, today, we can let go and trust Him. We can take our worry, our doubt, our fears, our insecurities and lay them at His feet.
I mean, let’s think about it….Has He ever failed us?
What struck me most about Habakkuk wasn’t His questioning God, or that God even answered Him. It wasn’t that hardships were taring at this world He lived in….
What gripped me most about these three small chapters was the ending, a small “yet” following a gripping telling of fruitlessness, judgement, and consequences heaped on by the God of justice.
There, at the end of Habakkuk’s long description of the depravity of man, Habakkuk says in 3:18, “yet”.
“Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I WILL joy in the God of my salvation.”
Joy being “gil” in Hebrew, meaning, “dancing, leaping, spinning around with intense emotion”.
And can you imagine, though land and churches are burning, though ISIS is torturing and crucifying children, though the government is tipping, and the scale of shifting can seem insurmountable at times…
Can’t you just see US dancing and leaping, spinning with intense emotion knowing, Yahweh is OUR God?
Scripture goes on in verse 19…
“The Lord God is MY strength, He WILL make my feet like deer’s feet, an
d He will make me walk on my high hills.”
And though the world seems to be quicksand, Habakkuk knew what ground He was standing on, the Rock was His salvation. He had eyes of faith to see beyond what was going on all around Him.
And today friends, I want to know what your, “Yet”. is?
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to pinpoint the problems happening….but how much harder to cling to our “Yet”?
“But YET”….Habakkuk said, knowing He could rejoice.
And friends, today, we can rejoice too, regardless of our circumstances.
Is He your Lord? Is He your salvation? Is His Word completely truth? If so, today won’t you join me in dancing, spinning, delighting in Him like Habakkuk did so long ago!
Please know, my prayers are with you as you have read this. May you have faith to know and believe…Joy is coming..and things aren’t always as they seem.
(For extra reading, will you consider opening up scripture and breezing through the only three Chapters of Habakkuk? I promise it will encourage you!)
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8 Comments
Thanks Jen for the linkup party this week.
Praising God because He’s got this! Trusting God alongside of you! I think we had some of the same thoughts on our hearts this week!
Amen Jen. Very encouraging words. We are running scared right now. People are overreacting. But God knows all about it. He’s not surprised by all this. He’s got you and this. We just need to keep living about the gospel and sharing His love. Lots of hurting people out there who need Him.
What a beautiful truth you share here… And Yet… I will praise Him. The Lord has been speaking to me about the weapons of worship and of peace. Joy is included as well! Gifts from God – that look like weapons to the enemy! Great post! I love that Habakkuk’s name means Embracer… it means Hug… and is that not what God longs to do in the midst of all of our questioning? To draw us closer and embrace us!
Thank you so much, Jen, for the reminder of that tiny, but peace-filled word “yet”. And yet God….
Those words give me incredible hope for the future regardless of what my fleshly eyes can see today.
Love this line: “It is faith we must not just strive for, but live from…” May He continue to bless our cups to overflowing as we strive to live from faith in His power and in His strength. Blessings to you and yours.
(Thanks for hosting the link-up, too!)
Such a great teaching here! Loved this line: “And though the world seems to be quicksand, Habakkuk knew what ground He was standing on, the Rock was His salvation.” Incredibly relevant for the times in which we live. Thanks for sharing this at #RaRaLinkup today!
““Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I WILL joy in the God of my salvation.” These words challenge as much as they inspire with their declaration and confident assurance. But most of all they point to faith in action, to hope beyond the horizon, to joy in the midst of adversity and to our constant, faithful God who provides for our every need. Thank you, Jen. I was blessed to be your neighbour over at Jennifer’s place! 🙂
So true that our world seems to be standing on sinking sand these days. There would be little choice but to despair except that yet. Yet, God is in control. In the midst of storms, in blinding sunlight. It’s all the same to him. And he never loses sight on anything. Not even for a moment!
I linked a post here, and I just wanted to thank you for this gracious hospitality. I’m hoping to meet more wonderful bloggers!