When the Going Gets Tough…

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ (deer) feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places…”  Habakkuk 3:17-19a

These verses were at the end of the prophet Habakkuk’s prayer to God written prior to the Babylonian captivity of the people of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel.  Habakkuk’s prophecy began with a complaint that, in his view, God was not doing anything to punish His people for their disobedience.  Habakkuk was sick of watching God’s people continue on down the slippery slope of sin.  Seemingly no one was concerned that he or she was transgressing the commands of the LORD, although I am sure there were some who were just as disheartened over the state of God’s people as was the prophet.  God always has His remnant of folks who are loyal and committed to Him.

However, God assured Habakkuk that He was well aware of the wickedness of His people, and that judgment was on its way.  Habakkuk’s prayer was a form of thanksgiving for God’s answer to his complaint, but he also realized that things were going to get really tough for God’s people, himself included.  Sin doesn’t just affect the sinner; it can reach far and wide and touch those who are trying to live righteously.  Judgment against sinners can also affect the righteous, just as God’s goodness can bless both the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45).

Habakkuk began to list some of the hardships that God’s people would suffer as a result of their sin.  This made me think about our current day.  We know that sin is rampant across the world stage.  We see it every day on television, read about it on line, and hear all the bad news over the radio.  What if we, as a nation, and the rest of the world had to endure what the land of Judah endured because of their sin?  What if there was a great drought and nothing would grow?  There would be no food and no meat for there would be nothing to feed the animals.  People would kill and steal to survive.  It wouldn’t even have to be that drastic.  Take away all the modern conveniences, social media, and freedom, and people wouldn’t know where to turn.

Hopefully, though, some of us would rejoice like Habakkuk in the God of our salvation.  I have often thought that if the only thing that God ever did for me was to save me from my sin, then that would be more than enough to praise Him for all eternity.  Habakkuk went on to praise God for the strength that He had given him and for the agility to run and leap over the hardships in life like a deer runs through the forest leaping over fallen trees and escaping the jaws of wolves or the bullets of the determined hunter.  When we depend on God, He will guide us over the mountains of despair, through the valleys of desperation, from the snares of the devil, and bring us safely home.  When the going gets tough, the wise get going–with the Lord.