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Dear Heavenly Father, Praise I join with Habakkuk and say, “O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear” (Hab 3:2). Your splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of your praise. Pestilence goes before you, and plague follows at your heels. I bow in worship before your mighty power, and I exalt your name. “God, the Lord, is my strength” (Hab 3:19). In you will I trust! Praise the Lord! Today in Your Word Today you told me how you led the prophet Habakkuk from protest to praise. Habakkuk lived during the reign of Manasseh, and evil and iniquity were everywhere. He cried out to you for help, but you did not hear; he called out “Violence!” but you did not save. Habakkuk couldn’t understand why you allowed the wicked to “surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted” (Hab 1:4). I can relate to Habakkuk’s frustration and confusion. So many times it seems like you are silent while the wicked flourish, and the questions, “How long?” and “Why?” gnaw at my mind. You answered Habakkuk by addressing him and all the righteous of his day: “I am doing a work in your day that you would not believe if told” (Hab 1:5). You were raising up the Babylonian Empire, and it would crash down on Judah like a sledgehammer. Judah’s sin would not go unpunished—justice was on its way. This teaches me that when evil seems to triumph, it is merely strutting on a stage that is set for your wrath and judgment. Habakkuk, however, was not encouraged at the thought of a Babylonian solution to Judah’s problem. Indeed, he was horrified. How could you “remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?” (Hab 1:13). Judah had been sinful, yes, but they weren’t guilty of the atrocities committed by Babylon! Your reply came in the form of a vision of the future. It was a prophecy that wouldn’t happen right away, but “wait for it; it will surely come” (Hab 2:3). Babylon was proud, and its pride would bring about its ultimate destruction, but “the righteous shall live by his faith” (Hab 2:4). You were telling Habakkuk that although Babylon would be used to punish Judah, they too would have their day of judgment. The important thing was for those who were righteous to live by faith. This verse is quoted three times in the NT. In Romans 1:17, salvation is received by everyone who believes (“by faith”). In Hebrews 10:38, the righteous endure to the end “by faith.” In Galatians 3:11, believers are justified before God “by faith.” Faith in your word is what would keep Habakkuk and the believing remnant safe while the storm of judgment howled around them, and it is faith that will keep me safe today! Habakkuk concluded with a song of praise. He bowed in worship before your splendor and affirmed his trust in your sovereignty. What a beautiful picture of how to go from protest to praise! Reflection Habakkuk complained bitterly about your apparent silence in the face of sin, yet all the time, you were actively working to bring judgment and justice. I need to be still and know that you are God! (Ps 46:10). Request Father, when the world around me is full of strife and contention, keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. Give me a heart that loves you above all else and a faith that will endure to the end! Thanksgiving I love Habakkuk’s attitude: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines…yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab 3:17–18). Hallelujah! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Suggested Hymn: “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” — Liturgy of St. James. Meditation Verse: Habakkuk 2:20. |