The Watchtower

One of the beautiful things about the Bible is that the humans in it are just that. Human. Very human. For instance, there is Habakkuk. In him I think we can see a great deal of ourselves. 

Habakkuk was an Old Testament prophet living in during the time of Babylon's rise to a world power. A time when the Babylonians would conquer Israel and take them into captivity. Habakkuk saw this coming. He was also aware of the spiritual state of the people of Israel. He saw the corruption, lawlessness, and evil that permeated every part of Israelite society. In the midst of it all, he wondered where God was. He then does something very human. He complains...loudly. Not just once, but twice in the first chapter alone. The book of Habakkuk is only 3 chapters long and the first is comprised almost entirely of his complaining. I think that's very much like what much of our own prayers to Him may be.

In verse 2, he says, "How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But You don't listen! Violence I cry, but You don't come to save." God's responds saying, "Watch and be astounded at what I will do. For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if I told you about it." For Habakkuk, who was very human, that wasn't enough. God was saying, "Trust Me!" Habakkuk wanted details and since he wasn't getting them, he complained some more. He asks, "Is it Your plan to wipe us out?" I've asked those kinds of blunt questions myself. I expect you have too. What Habakkuk does next though is something not many of us will do, for doing it will completely change our perspective. It's a lot easier to complain, accuse, and accept defeat. That's where we end up living.

In chapter 2, Habakkuk says, "I will climb up into my watchtower now, and wait to see what the Lord will say to me, and how He will answer my complaint. He would not stay down at ground level where his understanding and sight would be very limited. He wouldn't stay on the ground level of darkness, despair, and defeat. He would not just look at what was going on around him. He would fix his eyes upon his God.  He would watch for Him, but to do so he had to get above the sightline of the ground. He decided he would look above and beyond his circumstances and look to the promises and presence of God. He would climb the watchtower of His Word, His character, and His faithfulness. He would do so, and whether he immediately "saw" what God was doing or hear what he was saying, he would remain there and believe that he would hear from his Lord. He would come. He wouldn't fail him. He would keep His word. Habakkuk believed that. Can we?

While he was on the watchtower, he heard Him speak these words in 2:3, ".....Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place, it will not be delayed." He was still on the watchtower in 3:3 when he cried out, "I see God, the Holy One, moving across the desert from Edom and Mt. Paran. His  brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with His praise." This is what Habakkuk heard and what he saw....from the watchtower. So will we....if we refuse to live at ground level, and refuse to be controlled by our circumstances and limited sight. They're real, but He is more real. He's the greatest reality of all, but if we're to know that, see that, we must climb our own watchtowers, all the while looking to and for Him. He will come, as He promised, and our circumstances, needs, and seemingly hopeless situation will fall to the One who "rides the heavens." 

Yes, it's very human to be overwhelmed by our circumstances, but He calls us to a life that rises above our human weakness and fear of those circumstances and our human weakness. We will find that life on our watchtower, as we fix our eyes on Him, Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our salvation."

Blessings,

Pastor O