Tucked away near the conclusion of the Old Testament is a must-read, the book of Habakkuk, and the minor prophet penned a gem. The entire book is a prayer and reads like a riveting journal entry.
It opens with a complaint within a prayer (Chapter 1, verse 2), and who hasn’t started their day off like this?
The prophet becomes aware of God’s solution, and it’s more problematic than the core issue he had initially prayed about. So (2:1-4) in his perplexity he climbs his tower (of faith), where he receives from God a deeper solution, in the form of assurance, that the divine purpose is moving forward.
A brilliant dithyrambic poem follows (3:16-19), representing the vision from his tower (2:2), and with new eyes to see and with new ears to better hear.
Helps come through the sorrow that stirs Habakkuk’s heart and a feeling of deep personal losses, and the poem suggests his secret of patience in perplexity (2:3) and his indomitable faith in the eternal purposes of God. Alongside is his hold-out belief in the ultimate defeat of evil and triumph of good.
The tipping point from the tower
“Yet I will” (3:16b; 18a) is his intentional and attitudinal response in faith to calamity and perplexity, which brought him to a deeper, placid calming.
The poem was inspired by the same spirit of patience and hope (2:3), and his initial brokenness is where we part the foothills and point to one of the highest peaks in the Old Testament.
This writer has entered into the innermost, secretive, spiritual realms from his tower, and gifted to us, with precious and poetic openness — verse by verse.
Lessons from Habakkuk for today
• New eyes (fresh perspectives) can surface through brokenness.
• New ears (clearer understanding) often comes through perceived losses.
• God can handle our heartfelt questions.
• The ultimate outweighs the immediate.
• God always shows up.
Habakkuk also forwards a gripping truism: Brokenness is often a rite of passage for the maturing faith, both individually as well as culturally. But it does not need to be a well-furnished zip code!
How are we to navigate the bittersweet blessing of brokenness in the dailiness of our own lives?
By remembering not to forget the lessons from our own tower (faith), and the many benefits of “Yet I will” (3:16b; 18a): Have patience with the purposes of God in our lives, be kind to ourselves and it’ll become easier with others, and practice joy daily, making it a habit.
So, say it with me (aloud): “Yet I will.”
It’s a great start to a new day!
Prayer: For the bittersweet blessing of brokenness, and (fill in the blank), we ask you for new eyes to see and new ears to hear from this experience. Thank you, God! Amen.
Markus Dennis is pastor of Riley Friends Church in Greenfield. This weekly column is written by local clergy members.
