I posted a Brian Doerksen song a couple of days ago. He wrote another that I’ve always loved, and from a book I love – Habakkuk.
I taught a Bible study for a long time to Korean military and dependents and we made it through most of the New Testament. I would really have loved to have taught more from the Old Testament, but it had its challenges. It’s already a bit more difficult teaching in English to non-native speakers. Now let’s throw in the theological concepts of the Old Testament. It’s a bit tougher than, “Jesus loves you.”
But Habakkuk is one of the Old Testament books that I could teach. It’s beautiful, and it’s relevant. From the beginning where Habakkuk asks, “How long?” How long the suffering? The violence? Just what are you doing, Lord? How can you use evil men to do your work? They don’t love you. They don’t follow you. How can this be? I mean, even God is saying, “I’m doing something so amazing you wouldn’t even believe it if I told you.”
What it all comes down to is trust, and Habakkuk goes there in the end: “All could fail, but in the end, I will rejoice in my Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation!”
This song is from a bit earlier in the book, but what I believe is its most powerful statement. Habakkuk says, “Lord – I hear you. I’m in awe of you. Do your work. Make yourself known to the world.” But here’s the thing that gets me. Habakkuk knows it’s going to hurt. There will be struggle. There will be pain and violence. But he also understands that God is doing what is necessary to carry out his sovereign plan, even if it is beyond our understanding – and certainly if it’s something we ourselves would not dream of doing. Habakkuk trusts enough to simply say “Lord, do what you will, but in wrath, remember mercy.”
We should all understand that life will come to this sometimes. I pray that during those times in my own life I can say the same.