Foreward:
As I first sat down this morning, I felt empty of words.
It kind of scared me a little, to be honest.
I didn’t like this feeling of “lack” but…I decided that the lack of my own words could be even better than having the wrong ones, so I decided to wait…
Yesterday I was drawn into into the book of Habakkuk, so I dug in.
I’m discovering that I can relate to Habakkuk’s desire to understand God, to understand what He’s doing in the midst of a time of waiting in the unknown. A time that seems like God is “too far” from a situation.
“Where are you, God? I’m crying out to you!”
So he has a conversation with God. He asks God questions that are on his heart. He doesn’t “question God” but he does ask God these questions that are on his heart.
“God, why are You allowing this to happen? I don’t understand. Help me to understand,” is basically what he asks.
God responds, but His response did not explain Himself as Habakkuk would have liked.
God’s response was more of a call to action, than it was an “answer to Habakkuk’s questions”…
God said,
“But the the just shall live by his faith” —Habakkuk 2:4
And in the end, Habakkuk learns a valuable lesson in faith and trust. ☀️
Habakkuk declares that he would rejoice in God no matter what.
He declares that he would trust God, despite his lack of understanding, despite how God’s actions (or what may seem to be a lack of action) may seem.
I love the way Habakkuk approached God with what he had on his heart — so openly and honestly.
Aren’t you so thankful we can approach God like that?
And even though God didn’t give him the “answers” he thought he wanted and needed, His response led Habakkuk to exactly the right place he needed to be –it was the process that Habakkuk needed.
This was Habakkuk’s “Hymn of Faith” at the end of his book:
“Though the fig tree does not blossom
And there is no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive fails
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock is cut off from the fold
And there are no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord;
I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!
The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army];
He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet
And makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility].” —Habakkuk 3:17-19
Isn’t that such a beautiful conclusion to that process he came through with the Lord?
Something about the process God took him through, changed him.
I love how the Lord takes us through His process, so lovingly, so “fatheringly.”
If we keep following His process and we keep allowing it to carry us, to change us, we can know that it will always take us to exactly the place we need to be.
I am also reminded of this,
If we didn’t have to wait for a bit in that place of “uncomfortable unknown/unseen” then it wouldn’t quite be faith, would it?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” —Hebrews 11:1
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” —Hebrews 11:6.
Thank You for leading me into these lessons, Lord. And thank You for giving me the words when I haven’t a single one of my own. ?
-Heather ?