What is the best thing for
us to do whenever we do not understand what God is doing or not doing
in our lives? Habakkuk gives us an answer to that question. Habakkuk
is in that place of lack of understanding in his book, and for the
life of him he cannot rationalize how God could choose a much more
evil nation than his own to bring judgment upon wickedness. He's
perplexed. He's made arguments to God as to why this should not be.
He has appealed to God's nature, the enemies lack of character and
unholiness, and he cannot understand why God could use an ungodly
nation like the Chaldeans as his agent of change. Today we observe
what Habakkuk did when he did not understand, and if we look closely,
we may find one of the best positions for us to take when we are
dismayed at God. Habakkuk wrote in chapter two and verse one:
I will stand upon my
watch, and set upon the tower,
and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall
answer when I am reproved.
Habakkuk
first retreats and decides that he is simply going to “stand
upon my watch.” As a diligent guard who watches over a city to
protect it, Habakkuk is on watch duty. He has stopped the arguing. He
has stopped making appeals, and now his decision is to simply watch.
Next
Habakkuk chooses to “set upon the tower”. He takes a high
vantage point, and rather than seek the position of the ground level,
he chooses to be in a place that gives a greater perspective. Rather
than beckon his own understanding, he now sets himself in a place to
know the mind of God. Resignation to ones own discernment is primary
to gaining another's thoughts, and especially with God, we must
relinquish our own mind to gain His.
In
addition to standing upon his watch and setting upon the tower,
Habakkuk next “will watch to see what he will say unto me.”
The first two actions were outward. This one is inward. The quietness
of the soul is primary when comes to hearing God. Many times the
distractions of the world must be removed for us to hear what God
would say to us. Habakkuk knew this, and he has placed himself in a
posture of humility within and aloneness without to hear God speak to
his spirit.
Finally
Habakkuk states, “and what I shall answer when I am reproved.”
This is probably one of the most revealing lines for us in the whole
book thus far. Habakkuk understands that there must be some mistake
within his own thinking rather than in God's. In other words,
Habakkuk's mind needed to be altered. God is always right, and
whenever we think He is not, we are the ones in need of change, not
Him. Habakkuk has retreated to a physical position, resigned to an
emotional position, and bowed his spiritual position to allow a
redirecting of his mind to align with God's.
When we
have a lack of understanding like Habakkuk, we can go to the book of
Psalms in chapter forty-six and verses one and ten for guidance and
position of how we are to be. King David of Israel wrote these words:
“God
is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (v1)
“Be still and know
that I am God.” (v10)
There is
no greater position for us to maintain than to know God is our refuge
(a place of hiding and comfort); our strength (when we are weak); and
a very present help in trouble. (He's always with us.) When we keep
our minds fixed upon these three attributes of God, it is much easier
to be still and know that He is God and that no matter what, He has
all things under His command.
Next
time we will see God's answer to Habakkuk as Habakkuk waits to hear
from Him, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites,
www.amazon.com
; www.barnesandnobles.com
; download
to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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