Strength for the Weary

Habukkuk is a wonderful book about a prophet frustrated and failing in his own strength. It is relevant today as we see evil embraced and applauded. Today, followers of Jesus mourn for the state of our world, while also longing for judgement. Sin destroys, while righteousness exalts a nation. Habukkuk faced many of the same things. He longed for the wicked to be judged, so that righteousness could thrive, blessing the people, and yet it seemed to him as if God was deaf to his cries by allowing the wicked to prosper.

Of course, that was not the case. God was listening and he answers Habukkuk and tells him that He sees all that is going on and how He is going to deal with the sin. God tells Habukkuk in chapter 2 verse 4, "Behold, his soul that is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith." This is the foundation of the Christian life revealed in the New Testament. 

God goes on to comfort Habukkuk so much so that at the end of the book we find these amazing words:"I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds feet, and he will make me walk upon mine high places."

The phrase "God is my Strength" is from the Hebrew word chayil (khah'-yil), which literally means strength, might, efficiency, wealth, and army! Wow, did you read those words? In other words, God is to us,        strength

             might or power

             efficiency

             wealth

             army

Everything we could or would ever need, God alone provides. This completely counteracts the pride that Habukkuk was dealing with during his time. Without God, we can do nothing the Bible says in John 15:5, which explains how we must abide in Him, the vine, in order to bear fruit. Through God all things are possible,  the physician writes in Luke 1:37.

God's strength for our weakness, God's might for our powerlessness, God's efficiency for our entropy, God's wealth for our poverty, and God's army to fight all our battles! Reading and knowing this we can confidently claim with the writer of Psalm 23, The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want! 

God is the judge of all, and giver of every good gift, therefore we have nothing to fear or want. Selah