My Reflection on Habakkuk's Last Three Verses
Here's Habakkuk's last three verses:
Habakkuk 3:17-19
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
I remembered how I used to think that it's dumb and mentally retarded to praise God even in times of difficulty. I even felt that I had a hard time trying to do (while wanting to do so) when I was newly saved if I don't call for God's grace to help me do so. I was thinking about all the times of crisis that hit my life for some time yet why did I still thank God for it while I was still complaining when things got so out of control? These verses started to make me think of am I thankful for God only when things are good? Whether a Christian likes it or not - there will always be times of tribulation and testing. Yet, there's another wonderful promise - God doesn't test you beyond what you are able (1 Corinthians 10:13) because He is able.
Habakkuk in its context makes me think of the number of times that God allows wicked men to prosper. It was the time after Jeremiah when the forces of Babylon seized the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The prophet kept asking why is it that a good God would permit evil men to do his will? Yet, there's one thought - Isaiah 55:8-9 says God's ways are not our ways. God's will is something that is hard for any fallen mind to fathom. God still has judgment ripe unto the wicked yet He still allows the wicked to prosper for a reason.
Habakkuk saw a life beyond this life. He knew that the fig trees and olives were temporary. All the fields and the flocks are temporary. He knew that if God allows something bad to happen then there's a reason for it. He only did what God wanted to do and knew one thing - God's will is better than man's will.
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