Reading
SAA Notes
Here is Habakkuk’s response to God’s answers to his serious complaints. It is prayer. I find Habakkuk’s request: renew Your deeds in our day, and his ending: yet will I rejoice in the LORD, challenging, uplifting and heartening. Don’t you?
SJA Notes
* Holy God, please show us both the truth of who You are, and the truth of who we are.
“I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
Here is a wonderful clear picture from Habakkuk that breaks down false religion, prosperity doctrine.
A lack of material blessing has no bearing in our walk with the Lord. In fact, Habakkuk specifically says _in spite of those things_ (the “yet” in v18).
YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD.
This is to be our cry. Not just words, but our heartfelt response and wrestling with where the Lord has us in life.
Where should our joy come from? Material things, the gamut of experiences in this life?
No.
“I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
What a word this is for us!
Habakkuk too knows this truth – That the only strength that matters comes from the Lord.
It is not our own inward stubbornness that will win the day. Not our own intellect or reasoning, not our own strength of body.
IT IS THE LORD.
“GOD, the Lord, is my strength;”
Because Habakkuk has laid out who the Lord is. Our God is POWERFUL and FEARFUL. Our God is JUST and HOLY.
And our God marches through the earth here in FURY. He threshes the nations in ANGER.
It is good for us to meditate on the character of our God. On our response to Him.
* Mighty Sovereign God,
May arrogance and vanity be far from us, rid us of pride in self and the desire to be great!
Because it is YOU that is great. YOU that is mighty.
Please Lord, in Your mercy, please guide us to find our joy in You, our strength in You.
Amen.