Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:17-18
When the sky turns dark, your health fails, your marriage partner walks out on you, or you are fired from the job you had hoped you would keep until retirement, your world gradually unravels. Paul’s words, “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus,” seem to torment you. No matter how you try to put it together, it just doesn’t make sense.
Frankly, you are not the first to feel as you do. The Bible tells us of a man who faced the same distress as that which confronts you. His name: Habakkuk. He lived about 600 years before Christ, when the world was in possibly the greatest turmoil of pre-Christian times. World powers were hanging by threads. There appeared to be no hope for Habakkuk’s nation of Israel. Doom seemed imminent. Habakkuk looked at his nation and saw corruption, confusion and bewilderment. “Why does God not intervene?” he asked. “Why does there seem to be a lack of justice in God’s management of the world? Why is God quiet in times of disaster? Why doesn’t He hear me and help me?”
Habakkuk did find an answer. The answer was looking beyond his trouble, realizing that no matter what happened, God would still be on the throne of the universe. He is from everlasting to everlasting. Said the Psalmist: “In ages past you laid the foundations of the earth and made the heavens with your hands! They shall perish, but you go on forever. They will grow old like worn-out clothing, and you will change them like a man putting on a new shirt and throwing away the old one! But you yourself never grow old. You are forever, and your years never end. But our families will continue; generation after generation will be preserved by your protection” (Psalm 102:25-28 Living Bible).
Habakkuk had questions. But he did the right thing about those questions; he brought them to God. God not only answered his questions but also put a song in his heart. When Habakkuk looked at the circumstances around him, he was perplexed; but when he turned to God, he found joy.
The key to knowing God in a personal way lies in knowing His Son, who said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” Altogether too often we forget that Jesus was not greeted with great acclaim but was rejected and despised, even crucified at the hands of Roman soldiers.
Yes, His world unraveled, but it was so that our torn and perplexing world could eventually come together. Because Christ triumphed over death, you can triumph over your circumstances and even thank God that through it all, He is more than able to meet you and to give you deliverance.
Habakkuk rose beyond his doubt, his struggle, his uncertainty, and when he did, frankly, the problems didn’t matter that much. Take time to read Habakkuk 3 from the Old Testament and understand there can be peace and tranquility when your world unravels, when things don’t go right, and when you become a victim. When you see God as did Habakkuk, that’s enough.
A little girl was once a passenger on a ship, the ship that her father was captain of. And on the voyage, a raging storm developed. The captain ordered everybody to put on a life jacket. So, the steward woke up the little girl and told her of the order. She asked, “Who’s at the helm of the ship?” “Your father,” he replied. “Well then,” she said, “if Daddy is at the helm, everything will be all right.” And that is the faith you need when your world begins to unravel. Our Father is at the helm of planet earth, and certainly our lives.
Resource reading: Habakkuk 3:1-19
