Habakkuk chapter 3

Well, isn't it amazing/awesome/infuriating how real life has a way of interefering with the best laid plans?!! Here was I planning on posting everyday, and lok what happens - yet another work deadline prevents me. Well, it does of course, mean that you get two posts for the price of one, 'cos here is today's as well as yesterday's ;).

This chapter is such an example to me, of just how strong was the faith of Habakkuk. Here he is, knowing punishment is about to fall on Judah, and accepting that this is something that needs to take place, that it is right, that Judah be punished, and so he does not blame God, or try to plead for it not to take place. Instead, he asked for God's help, God's mercy so that in the midst of the disciplining, God would stay His hand.

The chapter is full of praise for God, which is not necessarily something that is easy to do when you are in the middle of being disciplined. I know when my children are grounded, they certainly don't look at me and give me thanks, far from it. I reckon if my youngest son turned to me and said "thanks, Mum, I really appreciate being grounded from the Wii like that, it’s doing me so much good" I would probably faint! It is not unknown for him to express his feelings far more forcibly, and in such a way that I am left in no doubt of what he thinks about me, which usually results in a further grounding, too!

But here, Habakkuk accepts that the nation has done wrong accepts that God is right to punish, to discipline and he rejoices in the amazing things God has done, how His splendour fills the whole earth, his coming is as brilliant as the sunrise, rays of light flashing from his hands where his awesome power is held. It is reminiscent of the film Prince Caspian (which we saw last night) and of how things happen when Aslan roars.

And I love the closing verses. No matter what happens, whether there is no blossom on the fig trees, the olive crop fails, the flocks die in the field, and the cattle barns are empty, still Habakkuk will rejoice in the Lord. Would I, do I, do that? When things get tough, when clients don't pay, when there is no money in the bank, bills aren't getting paid, the children play up, when there is illness in the family, do I sit and rejoice, lift my hands up in praise? It is easy to say what we would do in any given circumstance, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, or so the saying goes, and do our actions as Christians live up to our professions of faith?

Sometimes, it feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders, but like Habakkuk, we too can rejoice because God is always there, He is our strength and He makes our feet like the feet of a deer and enables us to go on to the heights no matter what is going on around us. Just like Peter when he got out of the boat to walk on water with Jesus, as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on water. As soon as he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wind, the waves, the storm all around him, he was overwhelmed and began to sink.

We too need to do likewise, keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, on God, and trust the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us, because the things of this world will pass away, and then we will be with God for eternity.