Sure-footing

Habakkuk 3:16-19

I heard and my heart pounded,

my lips quivered at the sound;

decay crept into my bones,

and my legs trembled.

Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity

to come on the nation invading us.

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.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to tread on the heights.

In chapter 3, Habakkuk had just had a conversation with God about the state of Judah at that time. The Lord was allowing the Babylonians (evil) to have control over Judah (good). Habakkuk could not understand why the Lord, the sovereign God who is good and protects His people, would allow such evil to rule and run rampant. What can we learn from this?

Though Habakkuk didn’t understand WHY, he went to the right WHO. Instead of allowing the circumstances to overtake him and get distracted, Habakkuk went to GOD. He went straight to the source of truth. When He did, God told him just that, the truth. That the Babylonians would spread evil around the land. (Read the whole book for all of the details!). This obviously was not the answer Habakkuk wanted, but he accepted it and took it to prayer.

Habakkuk took his fears, cares, and requests to PRAYER. In fact, he prayed in faith that God would do the same miraculous wonders God had done in the past AGAIN. That the Lord would overcome the evil with good (in very simple words). He praised God for who He is, recalled all the Lord had done in the past, exalted his powerful God, and believed in faith that God would come through again.

Habakkuk didn’t stop when things looked grim. In verse 17, he states a few “even though…” details. Even though the crops fail, even though there is sickness, even though ______, YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD. Habakkuk knew that even though he didn’t understand God’s plan, or really even like it for that matter, that God was still God. He chose to rejoice in the Lord who makes his feet SUREFOOTED. Some versions say “he makes my feet like hinds feet.” A hind is a type of deer with feet designed to climb rocky terrain. In fact, they are the only animal who can successfully leap and bound on this type of surface unfazed. Habakkuk is liking his footing in such a devastating time to that of an animal who has no problem running up a treacherous mountain.

As we attempt to navigate this new terrain of social distancing, processing a global pandemic, and seeing devastation all around us, let us learn from Habakkuk and lean into the Lord. We can call upon the Lord who is faithful to answer and even when we don’t like what we see or understand the timing, we can rejoice that God is still God and has us in the palm of His hand. Moreover, when we allow Him to give us His strength, we can have sure-footing when the terrain in front of us is rocky and steep.