HABAKKUK

The following comments are from Navigator's and Quiet Time Diary journals. One verse will be entered, then the comment, then the date.

1:5    "Look among the nations! Observe!
        Be astonished! Wonder!
        Because I am doing something in your days —
        You would not believe if you were told."

    I believe that God spoke these words - even though it doesn't say. Habakkuk was crying out to the Lord and God answered the above, and seemed to say He was in control. Maybe the people were Habakkuk's enemy, but God is in control. Depend on Him! (DRM 10/29/2000)

    This quote from God could be used today as much as it was in 600 B.C. He was raising up the Chaldeans - Babylonians to take over Judah (v. 6). God is also working today to prepare the world for Jesus' return. We can see the preparations in today's news. (DRM 5/4/06)

1:14    Why hast Thou made men like the fish of the sea, Like the creeping things without a ruler over them?

    There are now 6,000,000,000+ people on the earth, and I was told over the weekend that half of them never heard of Christ. Why so many people? I don't know, but the fields are white for harvest. . . (DRM 10/30/2000)

    While I haven't read God's answer to this question posed by Habakkuk, I don't agree that God views men as fish. I believe that He loves each of us individually and truly directs our paths. He is the ruler we are to obey. (DRM 5/5/06)

2:3    For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail.
        Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay. 

    Visions, prophecy, future events mentioned in the Bible WILL happen. We need patience. In the Old Testament, prophets said the Messiah would come and they waited so long that they didn't believe Him when He was here! No one knows when He will return, but I want to be ready! (DRM 10/31/2000)

    I enjoy prophecy. The challenge for me is to understand if the prophecy has already been fulfilled or not. This verse shows that God will do as He said in His time. We are to wait and observe how He will do it. (DRM 5/5/06)

2:14    For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

    In the future everyone will know about the glory of the Lord, because His Spirit will be in them all! It will be as obvious as the water in the sea. Thank God I know now. Why can't others see? (DRM 6/11/89)

    I don't know when this will occur, but it sure sounds nice! Many people need to trust in the Lord to gain this knowledge. I pray that Jesus will use me somehow to tell others of His love. (DRM 11/1/2000)

2:18    "What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it,
            or an image, a teacher of falsehood?
            For its maker trusts in his own handiwork
            When he fashions speechless idols."

    An idol is something that we, as humans, create with our hands - or minds. Generally its something that is "perfect." In our effort to create perfection, we are ignoring God, the true Creator. Our worship should be to the Creator and not the things we create. (DRM 5/6/06)

2:19    "Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, 'Awake!' To a dumb stone, 'Arise!' And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it. 

    The previous verse and this one deal with idols. At first I thought, I don't worship idols, but quickly got convicted and thought of some people that I "idolize" in my mind instead of Christ who should be the only one. Lord, make my mind dwell on You alone. (DRM 11/2/2000)

3:2    Lord, I have heard the report about Thee and I fear. O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years,
        In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

    In some ways this verse expresses how I feel today. . . not in fearing the Lord, but in my fear of water in baptism. Then we go from that to revival which the Lord seems to want me to help Him on. And "the midst of years" makes me think of my birthday. Please Lord be merciful to me. (DRM 11/3/2000)

3:13    Thou didst go forth for the salvation of Thy people,
            For the salvation of Thine anointed.
            Thou didst strike the head of the house of evil
            To lay him open from thigh to neck. [Selah.

    This verse seems like a prophecy about Jesus to me. Jesus brought our salvation - as we trusted in Him and became anointed by God. Jesus defeated Satan's plans to replace God, and has left him wounded until the final battle. Praise God our Deliverer (Jesus) lives! (DRM 5/6/06)

3:18,19    Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. ¹⁹The Lord God is my strength, and He has made me walk on my high places.

    Verse 17 describes many things that can go wrong - and I can think of many more - but still the encouragement is in the final two verses. Depend on the Lord - my mind knows this, but I still have the fear of new things and how He will work it out. God always provides for His own. (DRM 11/4/2000)

3:19    The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.