When God Is Silent Day 9: Habakkuk 3:3-6

Read & Journal

Read Habakkuk 3:3-6. Ask yourself:

• What do these verses teach me about God’s power?

• What do I learn about God’s character from this passage?

• If you had to distill what Habakkuk was saying about God down to a couple of sentences, what would you say?

• When have you caught a glimpse of God’s sovereignty or power? How did you respond?

• Ask God to open your eyes to his power and sovereignty today. Journal a prayer expressing your trust and faith that he is at work in your life, even through the situations you don’t understand or wish you didn’t have to endure.

Ponder

Habakkuk had asked God where he was, and God responded with Himself. Habakkuk wanted to know why God wasn’t doing anything; God showed Habakkuk the extent of his glory and power.

According to scholars, verses 3-15 are considered a theophany, an appearance of God in great power or glory, such as the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19. Habakkuk could stay mired in the details or circumstances of what was going to happen, or he could choose to focus on the bigger picture, which was rooted in God’s glory and power.

Consider the news you read this morning or your fears about the state of the world or your own family. Those are very real concerns, issues God invites us to bring to him, just as Habakkuk did. But he also calls us to remember who he is. We love to think of God as our Father and our friend—and he is both—but he is also holy and awesome, sovereign and powerful. We can choose to stay mired in our daily circumstances and our fears, or we can lift our eyes to the Holy One of Heaven, seated on his throne, holy, righteous and just, over all and in all. He is the creator; he is the God who is shaping redemption’s story from beginning to end. He is in control, and his plans and purposes will be fulfilled.

So, today, whatever you’re facing, remember who God is. Holy. Powerful. Sovereign. Just. Merciful. Abounding in love. Patient. Persistent. In control. Faithful. Lift your eyes from this chapter of the story and see God’s bigger picture. He is on his throne and nothing in this world can distract or dissuade him from his plan to make all things new.