Your Victory Today

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,

18) yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

   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 tread on the heights.

                                    -Hab 3:17-19 NIV

These words from Habakkuk are meant to be a song—at the end of the chapter is the footnote “For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.” So not only does it tell us its meant to be sung but its meant to be sung with a stringed instrument I prefer a guitar.  What a song!! What a praise and worship.  Habakkuk hasn’t received the best of news!! He’s just been told by God that Babylon will come and pretty much invade the people as a judgment.  And Habakkuk believes God. He foresees the disaster and invasion.  Fear even comes over him in vs. 16 he says, “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled..”  He sees the reality of this moment and his human reaction is everything human!! But then at the end of vs 16 he also says, “Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.”  Even in his fear there’s hope. Hope in the words God has spoken.  The book of Habakkuk is a dialogue between Habakkuk and God.  Habakkuk asks and God responds. What a relationship!! Now that’s intimacy!! Habakkuk asks God when will you administer justice? Your justice? How long will you put up with wickedness in these people?? God responds in chapter 1 vs 5 and says the following famous line: “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”  That is God’s response to describe the devastation that Babylon will bring upon the peoples.  What is interesting is many times we use this verse alone and out of context.  We use it to say something big and good will happen to my life.  I don’t disagree God can use a verse to speak but its important we read the verse in the context of the text.  How is it being used?? What is being said? And what is God talking about in this particular case?? And well the Word of God is the word of God He can use it how He sees fit!! However we must be careful to use it within the text and not give it our own human twists.

What led me to read Habakkuk was I received an email with this verse (vs 5) as the verse of the day. I read it and thought what a nice verse when read by itself! J  Let me see why God is saying this and who He is saying it to etc. Not that it can’t apply to me but I wanted to understand it better.  And that’s how I read the book of Habakkuk today!!  If you read all of chapter 1 you will find vs 5 isn’t so much a beautiful promise from God but a dreadful prophetic word of a devastating judgment.  God was going to judge the heck out of them people!! And it was going to be so bad no one would believe it if they heard it.  Wow what a different meaning it takes when we put it into context.  So rest assured if you got this vs texted to you today God isn’t going to slam the life outta you. LOL. You’re in good God hands!! What I did take away from chapters 1-3 is Habakkuk’s response to God’s words: WORSHIP AND SINGING.  Wow…what a man of God.  What a great man of God.  What an example.

Habakkuk doesn’t forget God always enjoys a good song.  And although His heart is troubled and worried He has time to pick up a guitar or a stringed instrument and sing some praises to God.  Its during this worship he receives the strength He needs as evident at the end of the chapter and book.  “The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”  What started out as a man fearful and shaking in his boots of upcoming events turns into a man strong enough to “tread the heights.”  He was low in spirit with fear now he’s climbing mountains. How’d he do that?? Worship took him there!!

Let’s worship the heck out of our situations that want to burden us today!! We’ll end up climbing great heights before the day is over! Your victory today will be found in worship.

Adelante!!