Habakkuk in a Crazy World!

Sometimes things going on in the world really throw us for a loop. If you haven't experienced this lately; turn on the news for one second. Things are insane.  In an effort to understand the current state of affairs, it is great to rely on God for answers.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly (Link) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Thayer (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament) defines boldy as: "freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech openly, frankly, i.e without concealment,without ambiguity or circumlocution, without the use of figures and comparisons, free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance."

A friend of mine is doing a personal study on the book of Habakkuk (It's a small sliver of a book in the old testament that hardly anybody reads or talks about). He recently shared with me some of it's greatness and its application to life. I decided to take a look at it. 

A lot of scholars don't even really know anything about Habakkuk because not much is written about him elsewhere, but he is the one who wrote 'the just shall live by believing' first. (Later on this phrase appears in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38)

His honest, open and respectful heart to God in the first 4 verses is such a great example of Hebrews 4:16:

Habakkuk 1:1The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. ² O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out (complaint- not just for himself but all who have to put up with the evil going on around them) unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!³ Why dost thou shew me iniquity (ugh!), and cause me to behold grievance? (injustice) for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.⁴ Therefore the law is slacked (numbed), and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

Habakkuk is a great read if you have questions about the crazy world! There is nothing new under the sun! God listens and answers and at the end of the book Habakkuk says:

3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord (Yahweh God in relationship with man), I will joy in the God (Elohim- mighty God) of my salvation. 19 The Lord God (Yahweh, Adonai- God as overlord) is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. 

God is our sure-footedness in these strange and mind-numbing times. His Word elevates us to the high places with balanced wholeness and we can certainly rejoice and benefit from our mountaintop view!