Habakkuk 3:17-19

 

 17Though the fig tree should not blossom
         And there be no fruit on the vines,
         Though the yield of the olive should fail
         And the fields produce no food,
         Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
         And there be no cattle in the stalls, 
  18Yet I will exult in the LORD,
                                                             I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. 
                                                     19The Lord GOD is my strength,
                                                           And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
                                                           And makes me walk on my high places.

How Long? Faith Always Has A "Yet." 

 I love my library here at home: many, many books and many Bibles. Today I opened one of the Bibles to Habakkuk chapter three, and noticed with interest the things my husband wrote there alongside the verses. Reading his notes, while reflecting on this passage reminded me of the first time God captured my attention to read Habakkuk.    
 
Has God ever compelled you toward a certain part of scripture, or a book of the Bible? So many people praise the book, Hinds Feet on High Places and I remember trying to read it, to no avail. [My brain does not seem to work well with allegory - - and I still have not read this book.] I did have an occasion when God seemed to draw me toward the book of Habakkuk, somewhat obscure to me then. I immediately went to my pastor/husband's library to see what commentaries I could find, or what resources were there. Although I searched through the book titles, I found little that would open this book to me.  Imagine - - I had to just read the Bible!
 
I began reading Habakkuk with intensity, believing God wanted to show me something.  I had neither homiletics training nor interest in the state or needs of the original hearers; nor had I been in a methods class about how to study the Bible. There was just some deep sense that I should read this book, so I read.  I noticed that the first thing this man said to God was, "How long?"  I know that people in ministry have this question come to mind. Some of my, "How long" questions were, "How long must we be nice to people who treat us so badly?", "How long must I live without a car?", "How long will it be until we can go out to eat again?", or "How long must I wait until God answers ____prayer?" You can write your own how-long questions.
 
Habakkuk observed wickedness and injustice all around him, and maybe had little hope or understanding about how the future could be anything but bad. Some of us think like that too. I liked chapter 2:1-3. Look how Habakkuk expresses his determination and faith in verse one, "I will stand at my post, I will take up my position on the watch-tower, I will watch [1] to learn what he will say through me, and [2] what I shall reply when I am challenged." His determination showed courage and faith in the a time of challenge. This example confronted me with the need to determine to trust God, and stand out for Him, before problems arise. Not just trust God in some passive way, but make the conscious choice TO trust, just as Habakkuk did.  God replied in verse three, "Write down the vision, inscribe it on tablets ...for there is still a vision for the appointed time. At the destined hour it will come...it will not fail..."NEB  Well that sure caught my attention, and I underlined those words.
 
What was God saying to me? As I continued reading I found something profound that has served as boundaries for my walk with Him: Chapter three verses fifteen through nineteen, describes different occasions, using words like, "when", "although", "day of distress", or "bereft", not exactly encouraging words. If one were prone to depression or defeat, you might give up right here. However, keep reading: verse eighteen says, "yet." YET. Y-E-T!!
 
Yet what? I began to question? (Now "yet" is another one of the words that intrigues me. It means, "besides, further, although, eventually, at some future time, in continuance of a previous state or condition--still, now, at the present time, after all the time that has, or had, elapsed; as much as; even.  Do you also find it amazing that a little three-letter word can be so full of meaning and challenge? This is the word that Habakkuk used when reviewing his situation. This is the word he used to launch his faith and draw his line in the sand - "yet."
 
I tried to see what difficulties challenged Habakkuk. He had reason to fear for himself, his people, and those who lived around him- expressing himself in a prayer that we are privileged to read in chapter three--"O Lord, I have heard tell of thy deeds, I have seen...thy work."  Then he says it makes him quake and tremble. Understanding the power of God, the justice of God, and the demands of God impacted Habakkuk, and he trembled and quaked with fear for the future. We wives lean hard on our husbands to provide a safe and secure future for us. What happens when our husband sees difficulty ahead? He may feel somewhat like Habakkuk did. Men fear also - they just don't like to tell us about it!
 
What really challenged my thinking and faith decisions is expressed in verses 17-19.  It could be story of anyone's work: a pastor, a family, an investor - - a planter. This man did all he knew to do, everything required and necessary to insure fruitfulness from his investments. It seemed that no matter how right he was, or how many hard long hours he worked, somehow the work failed miserably. Habakkuk did all in his human power and wisdom to make life work - he did all the right things. He made all the right investments. He had a super job and was due a huge salary increase as recognition for all his hard work. Today, we might say he gave his all to the church congregation, he worked day and night, he studied hard, and preached wonderful inspiring sermons, just to be asked to leave by some small group of malcontents. Or like one pastor family I knew: the wife had just given birth to their second baby, and they came home to the parsonage to discover the pastor was fired, and all their belongings were out on the street. I know this happened, as these people were friends of mine who stayed in our home for a while.  
 
In spite of all, Habakkuk made a decision - - he said "Yet". In verse eighteen, "Yet - I will exult in the Lord. Yet - I will rejoice in the God of my deliverance". This was his choice in the face of difficulty. He proclaimed for all to know in verse nineteen: "The Lord God IS my strength, who makes my feet nimble as a hind's feet, and sets me to range the heights."
 
The truth of this last verse sinks deep into my heart today: God will make MY feet fit to walk on the high places. He uniquely designed the mountain goat's feet to walk on the cliffs where other creatures would slip and fall and die. These goats leap from cleft to ridge with nimbleness and grace, landing solidly on the smallest place. They jumped gleefully in places that would be dangerous to any other creature--but they were designed to live there. They are designed to walk here. In this same manner, when we find ourselves in dangerous, threatening, or potentially devastating situations, God makes a way for us to exist safely "as if we were designed to walk here all along."