In Wrath Remember Mercy

brendaknightgraham

March 1

I had not paid that much attention to the Bible book Habakkuk--except to think it was such an interesting name with its three K's--until Marel Brown gave me her perspective on it. I had read Marel's inspirational articles and poetry in Home Life and other periodicals so I was thrilled to learn she was teaching a class at the Dixie Writers' Conference that week at St. Simons Island. The theme for her class and, in fact, for her walk in life, was Habakkuk 2:2: Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it."

I have always treasured those days with Marel Brown, a cute little brown-eyed bird of a lady. She was so joyful in her relationship with the Lord, so excited about "writing down the revelation," and so very interested in helping her students to do the same. It was impossible not to catch her enthusiasm--about writing, about God's greatness, and Habakkuk.

Habakkuk was a prophet for the Lord about 600 B.C. not long before the terrible Babylonian takeover of Jerusalem. The book Habakkuk is a conversation between the prophet and the Lord. He wondered why God was allowing such devastation to His people.

Habakkuk's anxiety for his people as they experienced violence, injustice, and horrors reminds me of the anxiety we have today over the United States. How long, Lord? asked Habakkuk. Save us, Lord! Deliver us from the snare of the fowler. The world has turned upside down. When will You set things right?

The Lord told Habakkuk (and tells us) He would take care of the whole situation in His way and in His time. The sin of Israel had to be dealt with. But woe to the nation that chose to demolish God's people. Habakkuk knew Israel had sinned by worshiping idols, by ignoring the law, by ignoring God. He understood that God had to discipline Israel as a father disciplines his children. But his plea was In wrath remember mercy.

Habakkuk has only three chapters. After talking to and listening to God Habakkuk ends the third chapter with a prayer that reminds me of Job's prayer after he finally realized that "God is God and I am not." A portion of that prayer is a favorite reminder of what it means to trust God implicitly.

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

May our prayer for the United States of America be that, no matter what, we will be "joyful in God my Savior." But also may we pray "Lord, in wrath remember mercy."