That little book called Habakkuk ~ Part 3

Check out the introduction and part ~ 2.

Habakkuk is becoming very real too me.  As you know my desire is to be in my home full time with my babies.  However, financially that isn't possible right now.  I have a wonderful part time job that uses my degree.  I have been praying that God would bring my home full time very soon.  And just as Habakkuk does not receive the answer he was expecting, I received an answer that was from left field.  Due to budget cuts, my hours at work have been drastically reduced to only 5 per week.  My first thought was maybe this is a stepping stone into coming home.  However, after speaking with my husband I realized that we could not survivce financially with that very small income.  It now looks as though I will be hunting for a full time job unless God places me in another part time position. 

At the moment I'm on the verge of tears.  I've studied Habakkuk in depth for a few weeks now and prayed that God would teach me truth from Habakkuk's story.  Well, He did! 

I know this sounds awful but the story isn't finished.  As we will see today Habakkuk prays again to the Lord.  Get ready because the Lord really convicted me over this second prayer.

Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment;
you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.

Habakkuk 1:12

Habakkuk had just poured his heart out to God and received a very surprising response.  Instead of bringing peace to Judah God was going to send the Babylonians to invade and conquer Judah.  I wonder if Habakkuk's jaw dropped at God's answer.  How could God do the opposite of Habakkuk's pleas?  Surely God didn't fully grasp the situation.  So Habakkuk turns around and prays again.  He objects God's plan of punishing Judah further.  He points out God's absolute power and cries that God's plans are even worse than the current predicament.  He pleads for God to rethink His plan and then pronounces with great confidence that he will wait for God's response.

I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

Habakkuk 2:1



God responds back with both hope and bad news.  The Babylonians are still going to invade and conquer Judah.  However, God acknowledges the evil of the Babylonians and gives a vision to Habakkuk of the Babylonians punishment.  The Babylonians are not being blessed in their evil acts, they are being used by God for a temporary time and then they too will face the consequences of their sin. 

What really stood out to me in God's second answer is His admonishment to the righteous.

See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness

Habakkuk 2:4

The Asbury Bible Commentary points out that no matter what one goes through one can still choose to remain faithful.  So even though things aren't looking good for Judah (or me) God is still the same God that He was during good times. 

I wonder if Habakkuk was expecting a certain answer because he thought that he was a Godly man and deserved God's favor.  This is where God convicted me.  I honestly thought that if I was a "good girl" that God would give me what I wanted.  When I received the news about my hours at work I was shocked.  I asked God why He would allow this when I wanted to be at home full time!  It breaks my heart to think about being away from my babies even more.  I can barely keep up with my housework while working part time outside of the home.  How am I going to do it while working full time? 

I do find comfort in that God does see the big picture.  He knew my days before I took a breath.  I hope that I can follow His admonishment and be faithful in my dismay. 

God was working on Habakkuk's heart and we will see the fruit of that labor in Habakkuk's final prayer.  Hopefully I will be fertile ground for the work God is doing on me.

Has God given you the opposite answer that you wanted?  Do you expect God to answer you the way you want to be answered?  I would love to hear what God has been teaching you!

This post is linked with: Thankful Homemaker



That little book called Habakkuk ~ Part 2

You can read the introduction here.

When we open our Bible (or Bible app) to the book of Habakkuk we first see Habakkuk complaining to God about the destruction and injustice surrounding him. 

Why do you make me look at injustice?
    Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    there is strife, and conflict abounds.

Habakkuk 1:3

Habakkuk lives in a time when the kings of Judah have yet again forsaken God.  They have decided to follow their own desires which result in injustice, wrongdoing, destruction, violence, strife, and conflict.  Habakkuk's first complaint sounds a lot like our world today.  The world has chosen to follow its own desires and completely ignore God.  Where there is no light there is darkness and we certainly live in a dark world.  Habakkuk is a God-fearing man and the state of his people breaks his heart.  Do I as a Christian have a broken heart for the world around me?  Do I cry out to God for those who don't know Him?  And in my own life, do I follow after God's heart or do I follow my own desires? 

How long, Lord, must I call for help,
    but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
    but you do not save?

Habakkuk 1:2

This is not Habakkuk's first cry to the Lord.  He has been praying and grieving for his people before this "first" complaint and yet God has not answered him yet.  Are there times when we feel like Habakkuk?  Have we been praying and pleading for God to intervene and heard nothing in reply?  I have.  My desire is to stay at home full time and my husband and I have been praying to God over this issue for almost 2 years and yet I am still working outside the home.  Does the silence mean that God doesn't hear me?  Certainly not!  As we will see God does here Habakkuk's complaint.  He hears our complaints everytime we come before Him.  We want an answer right now at this very second but God sees a big picture that we don't.  He answers in His good timing.  We expect to hear the answer that we want but as we see in Habakkuk we don't always hear that answer.

I am raising up the Babylonians, 
    that ruthless and impetuous people,
who sweep across the whole earth
    to seize dwellings not their own.
Habakkuk 1:6

Whoa!  Wait just one minute here.  Habakkuk was pleading with God to intervene.  God was supposed to do away with the injustice and violence.  He is supposed to bless Judah with peace and abundance.  How many times do we feel this way?  "God, You're supposed to bring me home right now and bless my husband with a job that provides for us."  I don't think Habakkuk was planning on hearing the answer he got.  God, seeing the big picture, answered Habakkuk with some very bad news.  Instead of blessing Judah with peace He is going to send the Babylonians to punish Judah's sin. 

We are not promised our every heart's desire.  God has a plan to work out in our lives and sometimes that plan isn't pretty.  That's a result of sin.  Our fallen world does not promise happy endings.  However, if we are born again we will find a happy ending in eternity one day.

Reading the book of Habakkuk has been very hard.  I guess I was hoping to find good news that promised me my every heart's desire.  I didn't find that.  But I did find that God does know the big picture.  He does hear me and will answer me in His timing.  Stay tuned next week for Habakkuk's second complaint after his unexpected answer.  Trust me, this is not the end!

Do you expect God to answer your heart's desire?  Any insights from Habakkuk's first complaint and God's first answer?  I would love to hear what God is teaching you!

This post is linked with:  Better Mom Mondays Link-up, Women Living Well Wednesday Link-up, Raising Homemakers

That little book called Habakkuk



As I mentioned yesterday, my husband and I are teaching the high school Sunday school class every other Sunday morning through summer to give the youth leaders some time off.  For the past 2 lessons we have been teaching from the book of Habakkuk.  This is my husband's favorite book of the Bible.  Before we were married I had never studied Habakkuk in much detail.  However I have learned a lot from this small 3 chapter book.  I thought I would share what I have learned with you over the next four weeks.  Today I will give a brief introduction and overview of the entire book.  Next Tuesday I will cover Habakkuk's first prayer and God's answer.  The Tuesday after that we will look at Habakkuk's second prayer and God's answer to that complaint.  On the fourth Tuesday we will look at Habakkuk's last prayer of praise.

How many of you have had questions in your life?  I'm sure we all have asked how, why, and when about things that are on our hearts.  Right now I am questioning when God will answer the desire of my heart and bring me home full time.

"Why do you make me look at injustice?
    Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    there is strife, and conflict abounds."

Habakkuk 1:3 (NIV)

Habakkuk was a man who also sought answers from the Lord.  He saw suffering all around him and it broke his heart.  He begins the book asking God why all these bad things are happening.  God then answers him and says that things are going to get worse.  Definitely not the answer you want to hear.  Habakkuk then goes on to ask more questions and makes a point of telling the Lord that he will wait for his answers.  God then answers the questions and gives Habakkuk hope.

"I will stand at my watch
    and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
    and what answer I am to give to this complaint."

Habakkuk 2:1 (NIV)

Habakkuk ends his book with a third prayer full of praise.  He believes and trusts that God will follow through with His promises.

"yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

He enables me to go on the heights."

Habakkuk 3:18-19 (NIV)

Habakkuk sets an example that we should still follow today.  God does hear our cries and is faithful to answer us.  Are you ready for His answers?

"For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

it speaks of the end

and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it;

it will certainly come and will not delay."

Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV)

I would love to hear any insights that you might have from reading Habakkuk!

Please share in the comments.

This post is linked up at:

Thankful Homemaker Homemaking Link-Up

Women Living Well Wednesdays

Homemake By Choice

 Visionary Womanhood