PRAISING GOD turns our BURDENS into BLESSINGS!
September
29 Bible Reading: Habakkuk Chapters 1-3
PRAISING GOD turns our BURDENS into BLESSINGS!
"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--yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in
the God of my salvation. 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." (Habakkuk
3:17-19)
Prophet
Habakkuk started in a deep valley of
despondency with grief and complaints (see chapter 1) but instead of moaning
about his misfortune, he went up to the watchtower
(see chapter 2). Finally, he now finds himself on the mountain top with peace
(3:16b), joy (3:18) and strength (3:19) that led him to
worshiping His creator God who is ultimately responsible for all turnabouts!
When Habakkuk
heard of the upcoming judgment through the Babylonian invaders, he trembled and
determined to wait quietly for the event to come to pass (v. 16). He knew what
they would have to endure as a result of the Babylonian invasion: the fig tree
may not blossom, the fields may not yield any food, and there may be no cattle
herd in their stalls. Yet, he would
rejoice in God and praise Him! J. Sidlow Baxter in his book 'Explore the Book' exclaims:
Even when crops and herds fail (a
horrifying thought in the context of an agricultural economy), and society
lives with hunger and poverty, Habakkuk’s trusting expectation will not be
crushed. Hope and trust transform his fear of the future into the desire to
rejoice always in God his Savior. The literal is “I will jump for joy in the
Lord; I will spin around for delight in God.” Here is the hilarity of
faith!—joy at its best with circumstances at their worst! What a victory! May
it be ours!
In spite of
the testings, the prophet remains firm in his resolve to rejoice in the Lord as
He alone is the God of salvation. The same God who brings judgment also brings
deliverance. He will see the prophet through the trials personally and will see
the nation through its crisis until all of His purposes are ultimately
fulfilled. God would surely supply the
strength and stability needed to endure the uncertain days ahead!
The
destructive results of the Babylonian invasion will soon be felt throughout the
land, but the prophet finds the source of his joy in God and not in his
circumstances. Habakkuk had a choice:
whether to moan, complain and sink
into the mire of helplessness, or,
rejoice in his God irrespective of his outer circumstances and current
misfortunes. He saw the rapid increase in Judah’s moral and spiritual failures,
and knew very well that God would soon use the wicked Babylonian empire to
punish Judah. Thus, he learned to trust and rely on the wisdom, justice and sovereignty
of God, and through this he learned to trust God in the midst of injustice,
suffering and loss. Habakkuk would live
by his faith in God alone!
Let us
understand today that our faith and trust in God always lifts us higher and
makes us to rejoice. Even though all things we face in life are not good, even
though we will not always understand why evil seems to triumph, but we can rest
in the truth that God is in control and will someday make all things right. Even
when we cannot rejoice in our circumstances especially during our trials, we
can always rejoice in the Lord. Praising
God in the midst of our trials turns our burdens into blessings!
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)
