Habakkuk has been driven to
prayer. Since he heard the ominous and thorough judgment of God
against not only the wicked of his own people but also against the
Chaldeans, Habakkuk now begins to understand that he didn't know as
much as he thought he did. God was, is and will be in control, and no
one shall deter Him. In Habakkuk chapter three and verse two we find
Habakkuk's reaction and request to what he has just heard. He wrote:
O LORD, I have heard your speech, [and] was
afraid: O LORD, revive your work in the midst of the years, in the
midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
In the beginning of this
book, we read Habakkuk's words wondering why it appeared that God was
doing nothing about all the wickedness he saw around him. Then
Habakkuk could not believe that God would use the more unjust
Chaldeans to execute His judgment, and now Habakkuk says, “O
LORD, I have heard your speech...” All his other surmises were
put to the side. What Habakkuk thought, wondered, conjectured and
believed were corrected by the speech of God. We have stated it over
and over again as we have entered this study, “God has a plan, and
He is going to work it out.” Even when we do not think He is
involved, He is, and now Habakkuk has finally heard God.
Next we see Habakkuk's
reaction to what he heard, “and was afraid.” It is no
wonder that he was. This is God Almighty, Creator of the Universe and
the Omniscient God speaking. We usually are afraid when we know or
perceive that we have an inability to handle something, but what if
it was God who was speaking to us, correcting us, sharing with us His
power, strength, might and control? Habakkuk's emotional reaction of
fear was probably like the rest of ours would be.
Habakkuk continues, “O
LORD,” (This is the second “O LORD” in this one verse),
“revive your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the
years made known;” Habakkuk states and agrees with the time
table of God. He has no other choice really, but this time he
demonstrates his agreement with God. It's as if God is saying, “I
am going to do this”, and Habakkuk says, “Yes God, do that.”
Rather than being challenging to God as in previous verses, Habakkuk
now aligns himself with the plan of God.
Finally Habakkuk makes
this appeal to God, “in wrath remember mercy.”
God has demonstrated to Habakkuk that He will take action against the
wicked. Those of whom Habakkuk had his first concern will be dealt
with, and they will be dealt with strongly. The Chaldeans will be
God's instrument of chastisement, and Habakkuk understands this now.
Habakkuk calls out to God to be merciful during His impartation of
judgment. Should God not be merciful, the entire population
surrounding Habakkuk would have been wiped out. It is God's nature to
be merciful. The Bible says in Lamentations chapter three and verses
twenty-one and twenty-two:
[It is of] the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because
his compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning: great [is]
thy faithfulness.
God is a faithful and
merciful God, and He listens to the appeal of any who will call out
to Him. Habakkuk shows us a great lesson in his prayer today as we
consider his words. It may be that God has revealed something to us
lately that we would be best to call out in agreement with Him and
appeal for His mercy. It might be sin. I might be error. It might be
judgment. Whatever it is we can be confident that God will hear our
appeal to Him for mercy. Though His judgments will go forth in His
own timing, we can daily make our requests to Him and know that His
ready ear is at hand. Let's talk with Him today.
Next time we will continue
Habakkuk's prayer, 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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