Reading in the Old Testament, in the Book of Habakkuk, is almost like you are reading in today’s newspaper. At the outset of this book, there was social injustice, moral corruption, people were cruel and corrupt; they worshipped false gods, with very little honor given to God. Habakkuk was a prophet, and knew God was bringing judgment upon his people because of their sins, but He was using an even more wicked nation to do so.
Habakkuk is so much like us and said the same things we often do when things are going from bad to worse. Basically, he was questioning, “Where are you, Lord; why aren’t You doing something?” Well, God was doing something; perhaps not in the time frame Habakkuk thought He should. Then Habakkuk realized, “But the Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him” Hab. 2:20. He realized, as we need to, that our God is an awesome God; He is sovereign over all and in control. He will do what is right. Habakkuk concluded that his confidence was in God even in his extreme circumstance. He was able to say:
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines: the labor 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, Yet, I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds feet, and He will make me to walk upon my high places.” Hab. 3:17-19
So, let’s put this in some more modern language that we can identify with.
Although:
>My health is failing: (I’m losing my memory, my body is racked with pain, my hearing is going, I just can’t do what I used to do.)
>My finances are failing
>My loved one has passed away
>My children have gone astray
>I’m afraid
>I just don’t know what to do
>I’m lonely
>Evil seems to prevail
>Our beloved American is no longer what it used to be.
YET, “I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
We can’t worry about our circumstances, but we can do what the theme verse of this book tells us: “The just shall live by faith” Hab. 2:4. When we don’t understand what’s going on or why, we can trust in God and cling to His promises. (That’s faith!) He will not fail or forsake us!