It’s devastating to see the fires uncontrollable in the west, and we have too many conflicts seemingly unstoppable in the world, and the struggles and strife that is overwhelming the people everywhere, so tough to see. I’ve heard an adage: if you put your troubles in a hat with everyone else, would you be afraid to get someone elses or seriously want to keep your own and deal with them… hmmmm… many of us probably would keep our own problems. 

In general however, is this a bad time of life? But when has life been perfect? Never. Our faith friend, poet prophet Habakkuk, could relate to any generation’s troubled times, his time was a REALLY BAD TIME, living oppressed in divided kingdoms, seeing Israelites and Judah-ites attacked by Assyria just before Babylon tips the situation from bad to worse. So, Habakkuk brought his concerns right up to God, and God gave Habakkuk HOPE in knowing that the evil will eventually fall, and the PROMISE of a SAVIOR would he fulfilled and He would rise up while every knee will bow. The wrath of God’s cup will pour. The evil will cease. The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

We are asked to praise God in all circumstances, I have a new poem placard which says: “Happy moments, PRAISE GOD;

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD;

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD;

Painful moments, TRUST GOD;

Every moment, THANK GOD.”  Yes! (it’s a quote from Rick Warren, I found out) YES!

THAT SAID, we should STILL bring our concerns directly up to God and especially listen to his Word, because already there are answers there: especially that we are to PRAISE GOD no matter what, find perseverance, trust in Him, follow Jesus’s life advice, and be Holy because He is Holy. 

Prophet Habakkuk laments evil, but God responds that He will deal with evil with even more power. God is our defender Whom has gone ahead. Yes, the world is broken, but God will send a Savior to the world (we know this is Jesus Whom came and is here and will physically come again. The nations rise and fall, but justice returns and corruption will cease.

The evil will cease, but “the righteous will live by faith”.

We are to TRUST that God has this life for us under control. And we are to keep living in His Righteousness. Righteousness is God’s ability to “right” us, make us upright in His eyes by His doing and needing our faith. Habakkuk questions God and comes back with stronger faith.

Amen

***The short Bible Project video about Habakkuk’s writing is worth watching***:

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Chapter 3

Habakkuk’s Prayer

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.

Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed – but he marches on forever. I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory? You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.

Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. 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.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

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