Habakkuk 3: God's Creation
ONE SUMMER NIGHT at a girl's camp I enjoyed a solitary walk in the presence of God's creation. I walked past the beam of a barnyard pole light and out into a grassy meadow shrouded in twilight but still exhaling the warmth of afternoon sun. Myriad meadow insects sang their evening prayers. Tiny feet scurried through their own maze-world so deep in the grass that they barely fluttered the seeded canopy above. Children's voices laughed and sang, near enough to carry music to me, but too distant to bring their ever-present turmoil. A light breeze washed my face clean of sweat.
After hearing the shocking news that the Babylonians would destroy the nation of Judah, Habakkuk meditated on his beautiful land and its upcoming destruction. Then he wrote the prayer in Habakkuk 3.
Warming Up to God
When have you seen the wrath of God exercised in a way that surprised or confused you?
Read Habakkuk 3. »
Discovering the Word
- Find as many references as you can to the natural environment.
- What connections did Habakkuk see between God and nature?
- Habakkuk prayed in verse 2, "In wrath remember mercy." What do you think he meant by that request?
- Study the last line of verse 6 and the first two lines of verse 13. How might these words help you understand what appears to be senseless destruction?
- What choices does Habakkuk make in light of his relationship with God (vv. 16-19)?
Applying the Word
- If you could somehow know that your own nation would soon look like the description in Habakkuk 3, how do you think you would respond to God?
- How does Habakkuk's prayer encourage you to continue when God's actions confuse you?
Responding in Prayer
Pray for God's mercy on your land and people.
For Further Study
God's Judgments by Steven J. Keillor