I love this book!

This weekend the youth group is having a girls bonfire at a lake close by. I was asked to give a short talk and I chose to talk about the book of Habakkuk. I don't think very many people have read Habakkuk but it is such a great book!

There are only 3 chapters and it is a conversation between God and Habakkuk. Habakkuk starts out.

“ How long, O LORD, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, "Violence!"
but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted” Habakkuk 1:2-4

So Habakkuk is crying out to God, asking why His people are allowed to suffer. He wants to know how much longer they will have to suffer. God answers-

“Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5

Habakkuk asks again why all of this is happening. God replies-

“But the LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him." Habakkuk 2:20

Habakkuk then goes on to trusting God’s plan and praising Him even though He can’t see at the time what God is doing

“LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2

Habakkuk ends with these verses-

“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 go on the heights. ” Habakkuk 3:17-19

• This book shows us that it is okay to question God, but to do it with respect

• Sometimes to get to the point where we will trust God completely, we have to go through suffering to understand how much we need God

• We need to be still and wait for Him because He always has a plan and is always in control

• He is always on His throne no matter where we are in life


• I love reading this because I know there are so many times where I ask God how much longer? God I’ve been in this trial for long enough. But the more that I trust God and wait for Him, the more blessings come out of this and the closer I grow to Him.

• The first time I read Habakkuk it reminded me of the song Praise You in this Storm. I’m sure you all have heard it but these are the lyrics that I thought of

“I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say Amen, and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

[Chorus:]
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm”

I highly encourage you to read Habakkuk! It's a great book!!