Yet Will I Praise Him!

Following up on yesterday's thought from the ending Hallel Psalms, while looking for a song to go along with the blog, I ran across- no, let me rephrase that- I believe God directed me to it called Yet Will I Praise Him!. I had never heard the words to this one and am blessed as I hear it sung.  The song comes straight from one of those books in the Bible that we don't find so easily when the Pastor directs us there. Just last week on the way to Knoxville, Alicia and I were playing "Bible Questions." She loves to do this when we are in the car and when she asked me to name all the Books in order, I quicky confessed that I get those minor prophets turned around most times. She soared through all with great ease, I might add.

The prophet, Habakkuk, begins his writings with the question we all have had at one time or another, I believe and that being "How long, O LORD?"  As he viewed the wickedness of Babylon and the oppression of His own people, the Jews, he complains to the LORD in chapter one. In chapter two, the LORD answers him but I am captured by the last verse which assures Habakkuk and us- "The LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him." Have you, like me, ever looked up and asked-" LORD, are you there and if so, why are You so silent?"  Job lamented that he looked in every direction and couldn't find God on any side.  I hope I can help you today by reminding you, hurting Child of God, that He is on His throne in His holy temple and He sees you and He loves you and He surely has not forgotten His child. He has reminded Habakkuk in this same chapter that " the just shall live by faith."  Oh, I know the frustration that goes along with not seeing the big picture at times, but we are not supposed to- "We walk by faith, not by sight."  Really, we are probably very blessed that we don't see the future like we think we would enjoy doing.

After Habakkuk's plea in chapter one and his prayer in chapter two, the book ends with his praise. It is very familiar Scripture to some of us. Soak it in as you read the words of the LORD.  "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be 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, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places."

One of my heroes of the faith is Corrie ten Boom, a dear saint of God whose family was thrown into one of Hitler's concentration camps because they gave a safe haven for the Jews. Only she of her family was released and at age 91, five years before God took her to Heaven, she had a stroke. Her caretaker records this as Corrie's prayer all those last years-  "Lord, keep me close to Your heart so that I may see things as it were more and more from Your point of view."  That perspective is where Habakkuk found himself to be as the small book ends. Though all around me, things may be crumbling, God is still my salvation, He alone is my strength, He stabilizes me like the graceful deer treading upon the high places.   "To the chief singer on my stringed instruments" seems a strange way to end his writings, doesn't it?  God is still our song, Believer, even in the midnight hour! Praise His Name!!

I close but not without mentioning someone on my heart today. A dear couple in West Virginia has been valiantly waging a fight with melanoma for the last year. Right now, all treatment has been stopped and the prognosis is dire. My friend, Brian, a loving husband and daddy, a Marine, and most importantly, a lover of Jesus Christ has not complained nor questioned why this dreadful cancer found him, his dear wife, Jennifer tells us. She, also, a faithful companion and loving mother and follower of the Lord and my friend, has been by his side and her heart breaks this day. I write this example today because I want them to know that their testimony in the midst of the storm has inspired and encouraged thousands around this world, many who are fighting the same disease. I, also, want my readers to lift up their names and their needs to our gracious Lord today.  I read this quote from Kay Arthur's book on Habakkuk- "Habakkuk's days were draped in darkness, just as yours may be. But the darkness did not overwhelm him! In faith he pulled back the curtains and saw the rising Son, coming in glory to dispel the dark night of the soul.  Where is God when bad things happen? He's behind the curtains, directing, and overseeing it all. Walk with hinds' feet on faith's mountaintops!"

   

Grant it, Lord, in my life.   Deborah