Habakkuk

Pray for spiritual understanding before you read God's word each day. He will speak to you as He did Habakkuk.

Habakkuk was a prophet in Jeremiah's time that did not speak not to the people publicly, but to the Lord and recorded what the Lord told him. In chapter 1 Habakkuk the prophet brings up the injustice in the world. The Lord reveals that He is raising up the Babylonians to deal with His people. He then asks God why He is silent while wicked men swallow up the righteous.

In chapter 2 he then stands watch and waits for the Lord's reply. That is the difference between just complaining and seeking the true answer. The Lord tells Him to write down the revelation. We should write down what the Lord tells us in our quiet time and then write down how He answers. It will help others to build faith as we experience our Lord at work. We will be able to identify the righteous because they live by faith. The Lord will deal with those who treat His children unjustly. He warns the Babylonians that are mistreating His people. I love these verses - 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea... 20 But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." Are we letting the Lord fight our battles, or do we handle them ourselves, and try to justify our actions? He has a plan. Let His plan take priority.

In chapter 3 we see Habakkuk's prayer in response to God's revelation:

16 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.

17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

We can see how this whole book was then sent to the director of music to be a praise song.