We always think our spiritual journey is somehow unique. We have the unsupported belief that the things that happen to us, only happen to us and they happen only to us because there is something terribly wrong with us!
While we are, by design, unique individuals the trauma of unbelief and life circumstances comes to us all, albeit in varying degrees and descriptions. I had the privilege of teaching a class on the Minor Prophets at Christ for the Nations Bible Institute. Each prophet has its own unique style and varying insights and purposes within similar messages. One particularly interesting character is the prophet Habakkuk. What kind of name is that and what were his parents thinking??? While those may be first response questions a look at the prophet’s message soon takes precedence over his unusual name. The theme of the book of Habakkuk is “The perplexing ways of God.” The message revolves around Habakkuk’s queries regarding the ways of God and is basically an account of his pilgrimage from doubt to worship, from questioning to assurance, from unbelief to faith. Whatever terms you want to use the message is clear; it is his life’s testimony. It documents his journey from complaints to confidence, from doubting to trusting, and from the valley to high hills. Isn’t that true for all of us? Our life is a pilgrimage from one extreme to another; from darkness to light, from weakness to strength from unbelief to faith! The ups and downs and back and forths of life are not unique to our spiritual journey but are consistent with the testimony of many men and women of God found in scripture. Habakkuk begins his dialog with God, like many of us, with a complaint and then a ‘why’ question, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear?…Why do you show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble?” After the prophet rehearses his position of frustration, disappointment and even despair because of the dire circumstances around him, he concludes his musings with, I believe, inspired insight by proclaiming, “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.” A key verse in Habakkuk,“…the just shall live by his faith.” The phrase, ‘shall live’ means to not only just live, but to stay alive! He will make me walk on my high hills, live by faith and stay alive!
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February 2023
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