Habbakuk - Devotional

Be Honest

Honest and upfront with his frustrations

Habakkuk 1:2 NIV

How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

History of God’s Works

Habakkuk 3:2 NIV

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

Habakkuk knows what God can and has accomplished

Be Vulnerable an Patient

Habakkuk 3:16 NIV

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

Verse 16 describes Habakkuk’s real, visceral, physical reaction to the coming of God in judgement.

Rejoice

Habakkuk 3:18–19 NIV

yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

We have moved from complaint to rejoicing in song. Habakkuk rejoiced in God and looked forward to his salvation.

Application

God can handle our complaints

Be Honest and Vulnerable

Sometimes God’s plans are unknown to us and can seem unfair (like using the Babylonians). But we must be patient and continue rejoice in God’s goodness

We Christians have the salvation that Habakkuk looked forward to with rejoicing: Jesus has come

Rejoicing is clearly a spiritual command. To ignore it is disobedience.

Chuck Swindoll