Defining Song

Habakkuk 3:17-19

”Though the fig tree may not blossom, or fruit be on the vines; the labor of the olive fail; the fields yield no food; the flock be cut off from the fold, and no herd in the stalls; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high places."

Most of us have grown up with music as a backdrop to life. Segments of our lives can be defined by a song or an entire genre. It stays with us for life. There has not been a time since Man has walked the earth where music hasn’t had a profound impact on the soul. The Prophet Habakkuk wrote such a passage of scripture and it has been labeled a "Hymn of Faith". Like much of our music it was describing a painful situation during his life and in his nation. Nobody knows the melody to this song and certainly the words are a little obscure but let me summarize…

“Everything around me is going to hell...no money, no provision, no peace, no joy, only despair in the land. But, my hope, faith, strength and my rest is in God and God alone. My joy and rejoicing are defined by Him”.

Has this ever been the case in your world? Likely. But can you say that your own personal response often exuded that kind of powerful faith? Probably not. We simply believe that we can handle it and can figure out ways to overcome whatever comes our way. In the natural we're built to overcome circumstances thrown at us; to reach higher levels and dominate them: to push through, survive and thrive. Habakkuk wasn't describing a drought, bad economics or an invasion by an army necessarily. He was describing the long term consequence of a people promised eternal joy and peace who instead thumbed their noses at a loving forgiving God. They spent decades mired in their own personal sins and worshipping other Gods in place of their only God, the God of all things. Like us, they said I’m OK I can do this on my own! When I need you God, I’ll give you a shout“. Sound familiar?

If Habakkuk who was not describing a bad state of affairs as much as he was describing a people similar to you and I; ones who are promised through Gods Word the same eternal joy and peace while thumbing our noses at God, why then would we be immune to a similar fate? The Word of God is consistent in at least one regard: human behavior is predictable and by that history repeats itself. Maybe you ask yourself why? It's because the human heart is unregenerate by its own efforts. The good news is there is always an opportunity to give up on our own plans, pretenses, devises, schemes as well as the undying belief of domination over this wicked existence despite the fact of knowing full well the heart consistently fails at it.

But, the even better news is once we realize we cannot change the human heart no matter how hard we try EVERYTHING changes. God is free to do what He does: He promises us a new heart by our confession of faith in Him. And, the bonus is once there is a new and faithful heart towards God He overwhelms us with the tools to walk on top of the sickness of sin (which leads us to those high places of false worship and false hope in the first place). This is what you get with a pure heart of faith in the one true God who has spoken His will through the Word and through Jesus Christ. It is then that the real great song of faith appears and dominates your life. And, it brings the promise of eternal joy and peace that much closer. Finally, we can lose the song that defined much of our life and be truly free to rejoice in the Strength of God over all other things!!