Resolve to Rejoice - Habakkuk 3
We journeyed with Habakkuk into doubt and despair. We climbed atop the watchtower with him and waited on the Lord. And so now we read at the end of Habakkuk a song of heartbreakingly honest worship: “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. 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, 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.” (Hab 3: 16-19)
Fear can draw us into a position of worship. For Habakkuk there was nothing to do except to buckle up…and worship. We can worship Him even as we hug ourselves tight and fall apart inside. This is when worship becomes a sacrifice. Lifting your voice in praise when you don’t understand is a sacrifice. You’re laying down the demand to understand. When you praise through your pain, it testifies to the goodness of God in a broken world. I don’t say this lightly. I know sometimes unclenching your fists to lift your hands in praise feels too hard. Worship doesn’t deny reality– Habakkuk described his reality in heartbreaking detail. His circumstances were quite grim and he didn’t pretend otherwise. Worship isn’t toxic positivity. It’s speaking of the goodness of God’s character and the hope of His promises anyway. It’s lighting a candle in the dark.
Habakkuk submitted to the reality of his circumstances when he said “I will wait patiently for the day of calamity…” He accepted that hard times were coming, and he resolved to rejoice. He didn’t rejoice that there would be no food or economic stability. That would be a mad thing to do. No, Habakkuk rejoiced in the steadfastness of his God, his Savior.
“The Sovereign Lord is my strength.” Habakkuk understood that the only way to stand on solid ground was to be hidden completely in God. God is the only safe place. Everything else can disappear– the economy, the government, even friends and family. But God and His love endures forever. In Him, we find strength to face even the darkest nights of the soul.
Do you see how fear can draw us into worship if we have a proper understanding of who God is and His character? If we call to mind and speak out everything good we know to be true about God we rob fear of its mischief. Instead, fear gives way to reverence and worship, just as God intended.
Prayer
Jehovah, Adonai, King of the Universe, I praise your Holy Name. I trust in your goodness and your wisdom. The world around me is broken. As a society, we are turning to false gods to bring false satisfaction and false answers. Help me to resist the desire to go numb. Give me the sense to learn from the Israelites’ harrowing example of what happens when I use sin to numb myself from reality. Break my heart for what breaks yours. Give me words of lament and confession. And as I turn towards you with all my fears and worries, turn my words to praise. I want to light a candle in the dark by worshiping you, the Holy One and Most High God. You are compassionate and patient, ready to forgive and restore. Thank you for being my shelter and safe place. In your Holy Name I pray. Amen.
