THURSDAY
Listen to the conclusion of Habakkuk (3:17-19):17 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,
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,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
One of the great challenges of the life lived in faith is the struggle between allowing our circumstances to define our concept of God or allowing our concept of God (His nature and character) to define our circumstances?
To be honest, I fear that I often times fall into the former. When things in life appear to be ordered and falling into my understanding of what seems right, then I am able to think of God in terms of His sovereignty and His goodness without hinderance. My concept or view of God then becomes intrinsically tied to whether or not I believe that things in life are going well for me. This ultimately creates a very shallow view of God and, for all practical purposes, places me and my understanding of what is happening in the world around me as the determining factor on who God is. If left to our own devices, I believe that this naturally where we tend to go....if life is good, then God is good. If life stinks....then our understanding of God begins to deteriorate and our view of Him is diminished.
This brings us to Habakkuk’s conclusion. For Habakkuk quite the opposite is true. It is clear that the conditions that surround Him are not good (vs 17) and yet his response or his conclusion is one of rejoicing because as he writes in verse 18, “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” For Habakkuk, God is God and he is attempting to view his circumstances and the world around him in light of who God is.
This passage has become very significant for my family. Since the passing of my Dad 20 months ago, I have probably heard mom recite these verses to herself a couple of dozen times. I never stopped to really process why she returned to this passage so often during the battle that is brought on by grief. However, now in the context of Habakkuk’s whole message, I see why Mom has focused here. The loss of her husband of 40 years has brought on a lot of questions, it has for all of us, but in the midst of that she returns to Habakkuk chapter 3, not necessary for comfort (although that can be found in these words) but rather for a reminder, that despite the upheaval in the world around her, her God remains God. For that reason, she can, we all can, say with confidence that:
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
One of the great challenges of the life lived in faith is the struggle between allowing our circumstances to define our concept of God or allowing our concept of God (His nature and character) to define our circumstances?
To be honest, I fear that I often times fall into the former. When things in life appear to be ordered and falling into my understanding of what seems right, then I am able to think of God in terms of His sovereignty and His goodness without hinderance. My concept or view of God then becomes intrinsically tied to whether or not I believe that things in life are going well for me. This ultimately creates a very shallow view of God and, for all practical purposes, places me and my understanding of what is happening in the world around me as the determining factor on who God is. If left to our own devices, I believe that this naturally where we tend to go....if life is good, then God is good. If life stinks....then our understanding of God begins to deteriorate and our view of Him is diminished.
This brings us to Habakkuk’s conclusion. For Habakkuk quite the opposite is true. It is clear that the conditions that surround Him are not good (vs 17) and yet his response or his conclusion is one of rejoicing because as he writes in verse 18, “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” For Habakkuk, God is God and he is attempting to view his circumstances and the world around him in light of who God is.
This passage has become very significant for my family. Since the passing of my Dad 20 months ago, I have probably heard mom recite these verses to herself a couple of dozen times. I never stopped to really process why she returned to this passage so often during the battle that is brought on by grief. However, now in the context of Habakkuk’s whole message, I see why Mom has focused here. The loss of her husband of 40 years has brought on a lot of questions, it has for all of us, but in the midst of that she returns to Habakkuk chapter 3, not necessary for comfort (although that can be found in these words) but rather for a reminder, that despite the upheaval in the world around her, her God remains God. For that reason, she can, we all can, say with confidence that:
17 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,
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,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
Pastor Sterling Moore
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
Pastor Sterling Moore
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