The focus of the book of Habakkuk is the essence of God’s answer to the prophet’s quandary: Live by Faith in the Faithful One. The first lesson of living by faith in the Faithful One is to be silent before Him. Listen to 2:20, “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.”
After silently recognizing who God is, you are ready to go to Him in prayer. Chapter 3 gives us Habakkuk’s prayer. He affirms what He knows about God and what He has done, and stands in awe before Him. Then He gives a brief request, “Renew your acts in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” In essence he prays, “God, do it again.”
This request is followed by an affirmation of God’s worthiness. He recounts some of the ways God has demonstrated His sovereign power in the past. Then the prophet declares his faith in the Faithful One. How does he do it? First, by acknowledging that the judgment God had pronounced was necessary and he would wait for God to accomplish His purpose. He would also wait for God to deal justly with the godless nation He would use to punish and purify His people. He concludes by declaring that even if things don’t turn out better in the future, He would rejoice in the Lord, and be joyful in God his Savior.
He declares, “The Sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” If I have nothing else but God, that is sufficient. That’s what it means to live by faith in the Faithful One.
