Martin Wickens

(17) 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: (18) Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (19) The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 

The book of Habakkuk relates the struggle of the prophet as God answers His prayer in an undesirable way.

In chapter 1 Habakkuk questions God as to why injustice and evil went unjudged in the nation of Israel. God repliess that He will send the Chaldeans to fight against Israel as a means of judgment. Obviously, the destruction of his nation is not what Habakkuk anticipated.

But, the ability to pray to the God of all creation provided a ray of hope in dark times.

Habakkuk responds to the Lord in dismay and confusion. How could a righteous God even look at an unrighteous nation, let alone use them? How could God let a rebelling people be judged by an even more evil country?

The Lord gives a lengthy answer, but two elements stand out to me.

1.The just shall live by faith (2:4) For ^rthe earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (2:14)

Habakkuk 2:4, 14

Individual Jews in Habakkuk’s time and then later re-established and restored Israel as a nation in the end times would survive.

2. But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Habakkuk 2:20

God will do right. We ought to reverence, trust, and worship Him.

Indescribable suffering would lead to inexplicable deliverance. And promises for his countrymen, both present and future, provided a ray of hope in a discourse dark with judgment

God’s answers to our questions rarely meet our expectations. Often, especially as young believers, when the answer comes, we express our lack of understanding with disappointment. But later we understand better and God’s wisdom shines through.

Habakkuk had to learn that often the best question to ask is not why or how, but rather who. And the question of who will lead us to trust the Lord.

“Although…” nothing turns out as we expect and God’s answers are not those for which we hope, as we trust God we will find a ray of light in the most difficult of times.