Habakkuk ~ Chapter Three
"Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The LORD God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
and He will make me walk on my high hills."
(Habakkuk 3:18-19)
Morning Meditation: Read Habakkuk 3:1-16
The heart of the Lord's prophet had begun to sink under the heavy burden of the condition of his people, and the Lord's response to his prayer only pressed him down further, until he went up to his watchtower and allowed his heart and mind to be carried away to new heights of understanding as he meditated on the holiness and eternal character of God. In the sanctuary of God, and in the stillness of his heart, the Lord's servant received God's vision and saw His glory, and was lifted up out of the depths of fear and brought to new higher places of faith. The vision of God was so overwhelming that Habakkuk found himself overcome with weakness, just like many of God's servants, who have sought God fervently to understand His will in a deeper way, have trembled and fallen on their faces in the presence of the Lord (Joshua 5:13-15; Daniel 8:27; 10:11; Revelation 1:17). Even though we may at times feel emotionally and physically drained, the Lord purposes that our emptiness will cause us to run to Him continually for supplies. He is the eternal fountain of living water, which will never run dry!
"O LORD, I have heard Your speech and I was afraid;
O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
in wrath remember mercy."
(Habakkuk 3:2)
With the renewed strength God had given him, Habakkuk began to recount God's mighty works on behalf of His people, and he found that the revival he desired for his people flooded his own heart.
"His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden"
(v. 3b, 4). God enabled His servant to experience a taste of the glory that was to come, and Habakkuk was able to pray more fervently for the success of God's work, even though it wasn't the work he was expecting God to do. As he meditated on the power and glory God revealed in the past deliverances of His people, Habakkuk's attitude and response began to change.
"You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, by laying bare from foundation to neck"
(v. 13). His fear had been eclipsed by renewed growth in faith, and all the worry and concern that once burdened him was transformed into heart-felt worship for the Lord. The light of the revelation of the glory of God that comes into our lives through the Word of God is meant to lay us low and humble us before the Lord, that He might lift us up and raise us to deeper experiences of His love and grace. Like Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, the brilliance of God's light and the sound of His voice will cause us to tremble the more time we spend in the presence of God, and we will often experience moments of deep darkness and blindness as He works within us the greater illumination of His will. The desire to know God deeply and intimately is as difficult as it is delightful. It can be a painful and woeful journey into the depths of God's love (Isaiah 6:5). When the clouds of our understanding our parted by the greater illumination He imparts to us through His Word, our spiritual eyesight will be restored and we will be able to pray in accordance with His will because we have been brought into the higher realm of His divine perspective. May we learn to trust God in the valley seasons as He is working out His perfect will for our lives, and call to mind the mighty works the Lord has accomplished in the past, and especially on the Cross, to encourage us and give us hope to patiently wait upon Him till all His promises are brought to pass! He is mighty to save! Let us linger a little longer in praise today for the greatness of our God! He alone is worthy to receive all glory, honor, power, and praise!
"I will praise, You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works, I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High"
(Psalm 9:1-2)
"Therefore I also,
after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your love for all the saints,
do not cease to give thanks for you,
making mention of you in my prayers:
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of Him,
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
that you may know what is the hope of His calling,
what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
and what is the exceeding greatness of His power
toward us who believe,
according to the working of His mighty power
which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead
and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all principality and power and might and dominion,
and every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in that which is to come."
(Ephesians 1:15-21)