High Places in Low Times

Circumstances happen to everyone. Life is filled with ups and downs, with mountains and valleys, with heavenly times and hellish times.

Habakkuk faced his own set of problems. The country he loved was devastated by the invading Chaldeans. Because of their sin God raised up a people who ransacked the nation, destroyed the landscape, and carried them off into exile. Habakkuk was a righteous man suffering with the unrighteous.

You would expect him to be angry, frustrated, perhaps even bitter. But he wrote a song and here is the refrain:

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 3:17-19

Habakkuk chose to sing when he had reason to sorrow. Habakkuk wrote a poem when he could’ve wallowed in pity. Habakkuk called for instruments when he could have cried injustice.

In low times Habakkuk treaded on his high places. Habakkuk learned that his times did not determine his place, his feelings did not dictate his faith, his woes did not derail his worship.

What I’m about to say may sound trite, simple, or under-developed. It isn’t. If you’re reading this and you’re in a low time, sing. Right now. Start singing. To the God who saved you sing!

And share some lyrics from your song. We’ll sing together.