Bible Chapter: Habakkuk 3

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
Habakkuk wrote a song to the Lord.  Yes, his world was filled with evil, but he learned to live by faith and trust God. There is always hope in God.  It is important for every generation of believers to live in a fresh sense of the power and presence of God, and not just remembering spiritual history they have learned.  Since God never changes, every generation needs a fresh experience of God’s supernatural intervention in life.  Today, as well as in the time of the prophet, people have not experienced God’s power for a long time. The miracles are only history.  So much in the church has been reduced to form and process.  They needed back then, and the church world today needs to experience a fresh display of God’s power.  We need a renewed sense of God’s presence and power.  We need a powerful revival to overcome the apathy of our modern church world.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
As I think about the world Habakkuk wrote about, and the modern church world, the ending verses jump out to me.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 NKJV
17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls-- 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 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. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.
For years churches have faced something pathetic called “worship wars”.  People have fussed over how they worship the Lord.  The big battle has been over music.  In this process the church world has forgotten, or completely missed the concept of worship.  Just because someone is singing does not mean they are worshiping.  So much of the focus has been on me and what I get out of it, instead of focusing on God and what HE gets out of it.  The prophet wrote that, even if everything fails, I will rejoice in the Lord and I will be strong in the Lord.  Habakkuk let his readers know that he did not serve God because of what God could give him. Because of his love for God he served the Creator.  God is worthy of praise because of who He is, not just for what He does.  The sidetracking of the time and energy of the church over styles of music has caused the church to shrink back from the real battle.  The Lord is our Savior and source of strength for daily life.

3.  How can I help someone?
The prophet’s ending verses in this book are a real encouragement to life.  There is no person who has every lived that didn’t face challenges.  Habakkuk knew that god was worthy of the praise, simply because of who He is.