October 16th, 2009 by Casey Fritz
In my devotional time with Christ I have been trying something new as I read His Word. I’m taking a smaller book or a smaller letter and reading it in its entirety. Then I stand back and freely allow the Spirit to minister to me through it as a whole, its purpose, its reason for existence. Now why am I telling you this? Well, because of this “new” style of reading scripture, I’ve been particularly ministered-to out of the Book of Habakkuk.
Habakkuk is called the “Faithful Prophet”, He is quoted in all the great doctrinal books of the New Testament–with his verse in chapter two, “But the just shall live by faith”. Reading this book as a whole you really see something awesome about the Lord and how He works with people. Habakkuk is faced with this burden of God’s people, and crying out to God to tell him what to do about it. In chapter one Habakkuk looks to God for answers; chapter two we see Habakkuk’s monologue about God’s majesty; and chapter three he speaks passionately about His judgment. And somehow, through a lot of ranting, by the end of the book Habakkuk stops and says “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” God didn’t even have to say a word for Habakkuk to see His plan, to understand His will, to “catch what God is throwing”.
It was the shear activity of God through which Habakkuk was spoken-to. The Lord shared so many awesome and wonderful truths without even saying a word. Think of the empty tomb and it’s proclamation of truth and God’s victory! The dinners Christ had over and over again with sinners! God never stops speaking to us through exciting and visible ways. A great pastor once said “To those with spiritual discernment, God’s movement is a significant revelation about His heart and His will”. I encourage you to pray, I encourage you to come to church and I will always encourage you to read your Bible….BUT I also encourage you to find answers just by watching. If you want to hear God’s voice, look around you to see what He is doing; and by doing this you will have a fresh understanding of how He works in your life!
October 21st, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Okay… getting it, after reading habakkuk I had a hard time wrapping my mind around what was happening, but thank goodness for commentaries. But I say amen to what I think your point is The Burden that he saw!
A kingdom broken into parties & factions, continually biting & devouring one another, forming division, widening breaches, incensing men against one another. (Chaldeans were laying waste to Isreal)
The prophet humbly gives his attendance to God. “I will stand upon my watch, as a sentinel on the walls of a besieged city, or on the borders of an invaded country, that is very solicitous to gain intelligence. I will look up, will look round, will look within, and watch to see what he will say unto me, will listen attentively to the words of his mouth and carefully observe the steps of his providence, that I may not lose the least hint of instruction or direction. I will watch to see what he will say in me” or “what the spirirt of prophecy in me will dictate to me, by way of an answer to my complaints.”
Even in a ordinary way, God not only speaks to us by his word, but speaks in us by our own consciences, whispering to us, This is the way, walk in it; and we must attend to the voice of God in both. Those that expect to hear from God must withdraw from the world, and get above it, must raise their attention, fix their thought, study the scriptures, consult experiences and the experienced, continue instant in prayer, and thus set themselves upon the tower. To catch what God is throwing. I am ready to watch and see what God is doing and join in as we see His marvelous plan unfold before us!!!!