Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Habakkuk+003

 

Habakkuk 3 (ESV)

¹⁶ I hear, and my body trembles;
my lips quiver at the sound;
rottenness enters into my bones;
my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble
to come upon people who invade us.

Habakkuk Rejoices in the Lord

¹⁷ Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
¹⁹ God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.

 

REFLECTION:

• Chapter 3 is the prayer of the prophet Habakkuk accompanied by music. In this prayer, a deep and powerful emotion is expressed. When the prophet is suffering from various inner shocks and struggles, he prays in the theme of victory, which is really a model of prayer of faith.
• The prayer of faith is not blindly disregarding the current situation. The prayer of faith takes God as satisfaction and joy, while despising the current or future hardships; the prayer of faith requires God to be our strength and we can still be able to survive in difficulties. To live a peaceful and joyful life is like a deer treading on high places. This is a triumphant song of victory.
• The harvest of grains was lost, the livestock died, and the kingdom of Judah was desolate (17). Although Habakkuk faced war and famine, he still said with certainty that he would rejoice in the Lord (18). His feelings were not bothered by what was happening around him, he only believed that God would give him the strength to face everything. Likewise, whenever the difficulties seem unbearable and everything is unsatisfactory, remember that God will give you strength. Don’t fix your eyes on the difficulties, fix your eyes on God.
• God will give believers firm faith to get over difficult situations. They will run through the rough terrain like a deer (19). At the right time, God will uphold justice and completely wipe out the evil forces in the world. Before this good day comes, God’s people need to live by the power of the Holy Spirit, and they must also believe that God will eventually overcome sin.

 

PRAYER:

Lord please increase my faith so that I can live a peaceful and joyful life despite difficulties. In the trials and troubles, please give me the strength to face them, so that I will not focus on the difficulties, but on you.

 

HYMN:

Be Still My Soul – youtu.be/mq59iE3MhXM