| Our verse to DATE the Word on March 19 (3/19) is Habakkuk 3:19 |
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| Habakkuk 3:19 says, “The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.” |
| Joy does come in the morning The short minor prophet book of Habakkuk is a dialog between the prophet Habakkuk and God about the wicked Babylonians. Habakkuk opens his book by expressing QUESTIONS he has for God regarding the judgment that is happening to Judah at the hands of the Babylonians. The opening verses reveal his fears and his doubts. Habakkuk 1:2-3 says, “O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? or cry out to You about violence and You do not save? 3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Talk about having an honest conversation with God. Habakkuk is so transparent here. He just does not understand how God can use such evil and wicked people as the Babylonians to be His instrument for judging His disobedient children. He knows Judah has been disobedient and he knows they need to be corrected but he is having a hard time wrapping his head around God using the wicked to judge His people. So he asks the WHY questions. As one reads through the book God will give answers, howbeit, hard answers. As Habakkuk hears God’s answers, he will still have questions yet at the conclusion of the book he states unequivocally that he will TRUST the LORD GOD!! Our verse to DATE is Habakkuk 3:19 and it is the last verse of the Book of Habakkuk. While struggling with God and what he is doing Habakkuk is going to come to a conclusion about God and a conclusion about himself. Starting in verse 16, Habakkuk restates what has been happening and then states his commitment to God regardless of what is going to happen and then he makes his declaration of trust and confidence in verse 19. Notice his conclusion starting at Habakkuk 3:16. “When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble. When he (the Babylonians) comes up to the people, He (the Babylonians) will invade them with his troops. 17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls — 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Why could Habakkuk rejoice in the Lord even in the worst of times? He could do so because He knew WHAT God COULD do and WOULD do. Habakkuk 3:19 is Habakkuk’s confession. “The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.” I don’t know what is making your knees shake and knock. The world we live in is scary. There is ALWAYS uncertainty. In the midst of the uncertainty and news that stir up inward fear, we are to be making disciples and shining as lights in this dark scary world. Habakkuk 3:19 helps as it reminds us that while we feel we can’t HE CAN! Habakkuk reminds us that God is our strength. Just as He was a strength for Moses and Joshua and David and Isaiah and Jeremiah and Habakkuk, He will be your strength. As Paul stated in Philippians 4:13, you can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you. Not only does God strengthen you, He provides stability. Habakkuk says that God will take the one who has shakey and unsteady legs and make their feet like a deer’s feet. As a deer can stand securely on unsteady ground we can stand securely in unsteady times. These words from Habakkuk convey his CONFIDENCE in God. Verse to DATE the Word on March 19 (3/19) is Habakkuk 3:19. It says, “The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. Joy does come in the morning. Times may be dark and difficult but KEEP TRUSTING GOD! HE IS YOUR STRENGTH! Continue Strong with full CONFIDENCE in God, And remember to DATE THE WORD |