WRITE IT DOWN

Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. Habakkuk 2:2

Any time you feel you have heard something from the Lord, write it down. If I don’t write it down I’ll forget it. Sometimes the Lord will speak during church about a specific area of your life. What He says might not even be what the speaker was intending but you believe God said something specific to you-Write that down. Other times you will be reading the Bible and something sticks out to you as significant-write that down. You could be listening to music or talking with a friend, or in a group, etc…God has ways of revealing and when He does you will know it. You will feel it strongly. At that point, quickly write it down. But it is not only so you won’t forget, but also so someone else can “run with it”. God reveals things to us so we can allow those lessons to be shared with others. Habakkuk was given the privledge and the responsibilty to share with it others. What are the things that God has said to you? Do us all a favor and write them down somewhere and be ready for the right moment to let someone else run with it too.

Assume the position

O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? Habakkuk 1:12-14

Here we see an example of someone who involves himself in a believing confrontation with God. It is not bitter cynicism. The bitter cynic is simple looking for evidence to dismiss a God all together. He would change the above verse to say, ‘See you are not from everlasting. You are not my God and you are certainly not Holy, because a good God would never be involved in any situation like this? You are silent because You are not even really there!”

Habakkuk has passionate faith and passionate questions. He believes that God is good so deeply that He must confront Him about the seeming contradiction in His own character. While in the dip, Habakkuk may believe that if he can get this issue on the table a little longer that God will offer further revelation about why He has chosen this mode of discipline for His people. Perhaps this will clear out the confusion of what he sees with his eyes and what he believes in his head about God’s character.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE IN THE DIP? Learn how to listen

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habakkuk 2:1-3

Habakkuk puts himself in a position to hear. He fully expects God to speak in some way but he does not take it for granted. He stands and watches. He stations himself in an advantageous place to optimize his ability to hear and understand what God will say. He fully believes that God will speak and he maximizes hi chances to hear when it comes. That means there is a posture that I am to assume and a place I am to go. What posture do you need to assume today in order to hear His voice? Is it humility? Repentance? Stillness? What place do you need to go? The Park? The Church? The Bible? The prayer closet? While in the did the main need is to listen.

When God doesn't seem fair

As we go into the book of Habakkuk, we see a picture of impending negative circumstances coming upon Habakkuk's people. Habakkuk's name means to embrace or wrestle. Which do you do when things go bad in life? Do you reach for God and hold on tight? Do you wrestle with Him about it all? Habakkuk teaches us how to be secure enough in our prayers to bring our raw emotions and questions to God. He also shows us the distinction between bitter cynicism and believing confrontation: One is a denial that refuses to believe and embrace God. The other is a holy wrestling match that refuses to let go no matter what. Habakkuk tackles tough questions while holding tightly to His God. We can learn much from his kind of faith. I will spend the next three weeks exploring the story of Habakkuk. Join me here and on weekends @ NCC to take the journey.