I never lifted weights until I started training for the Spartan Race, a race with climbing, throwing, swimming, and other obstacles. After lifting and training for months, I was confident that my rounded shoulders and defined biceps would pull me through the race until I saw the strength of the other people competing. I was a weakling compared to the Arnold Schwarzeneggers at the starting line.

The Strength of the Chaldeans

So far in our study of the book of Habakkuk, the Chaldeans have been the strong ones. In chapter 1, Habakkuk asks God when He is going to punish the wayward Israelites. God answers that the strong and powerful Chaldeans will come to conquer.

That doesn’t sit well with Habakkuk. He doesn’t want to see the wicked Chaldeans come out on top. Habakkuk asks God about it. God replies that He will bring woes upon the Chaldeans.

Habakkuk, in awe of God’s plan that stretches beyond Habakkuk’s imagination, listens to God’s reply and sustains a worshipful silence.

Habakkuk breaks the silence with a praise prayer to the Lord.

What changed Habakkuk’s perplexity into a prayer of praise?

Habakkuk’s outlook changed when he focused on the full picture of God’s strength.

God’s Strength in History

In Habakkuk’s praise prayer, he looks back into history at the times when God has shown His strength in protecting His people from judgment or from enemies.

• In verse 5, the mention of pestilence and plague reminds us of God’s plagues against Egypt.
• In verse 10, the mention of the downpour of waters reminds us of Noah’s ark.
• In verse 11, the sun and the moon standing in their places reminds us of Joshua 10 when the sun and the moon stood still while the Israelites defeated their enemies.

Habakkuk was reminded that God is stronger than circumstances.

God’s Strength in the Future

Along with looking at the past, Habakkuk also prophesies about God’s future plan of rescue for his people. In verse 13, Habakkuk says, “You went forth for the salvation of your people, For the salvation of Your anointed.” The anointed refers to Jesus, the Messiah.

For Habakkuk, the coming of the Messiah was yet future. However, knowing that God had this plan for the Messiah to come, reminded Habakkuk that God’s strength would prevail. God had a plan and there was nothing so strong as to overtake it. Not even the Chaldeans.

Habakkuk’s Choice to Praise God’s Strength

After gaining confidence when he looked at the realities of the past and future of God’s strength, Habakkuk returns again to thinking about his current difficult situation.

His situation hadn’t changed at all. The Chaldeans were still going to come and destroy his country. Habakkuk still felt trembling fear about living through it (verse 16).

Yet even though the situation hadn’t changed, Habakkuk makes a choice to exalt the Lord and rejoice in the God of his salvation.

Habakkuk’s View of Strength

The most striking thing to me in the book of Habakkuk is the comparison between Habakkuk’s view of strength and the Chaldean’s view of strength. In Habakkuk 1:11, God says of the Chaldeans that “they will be held guilty, they whose strength is their god.”

In contrast, Habakkuk closes his praise prayer and his book with acknowledgement that “The LORD God is my strength.” (3:19)

Habakkuk understood what real strength was. The Chaldeans worshipped the strength their nation had to overpower others and to destroy them and take them over. Habakkuk, one of the righteous who chose to live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4) instead put his faith not in his own strength, not in the strength of his nation, but in the Lord God who is strength.

God’s strength is what Habakkuk would use to get him through the difficult situation, through the agony of waiting for the Chaldeans to come.

A Proper View of Strength

You may be facing a difficult situation right now in your life. Or like Habakkuk you might know that a difficult season of life is coming. If that’s not you right now, don’t get comfortable! It’s a guarantee that you will eventually face a difficult time in your life.

When the difficult time comes, you can look to the Lord God as your strength.

Look back in history to remind you of the extent of God’s strength.

Look in your family’s history to see how He has preserved you until now. Look in your own personal walk with the Lord to see how He has shown His strength.

Look forward to what God’s strength will accomplish.

Habakkuk was looking forward to Jesus coming and sacrificing Himself for us. We are looking forward to Jesus’ return to take us to heaven to live with Him in eternity.

Do not worship your own strength.

In our world, independence and strength are a mark of success. For Christian women in particular, we are told to be our own boss, to rise above others, to be all we can be. I don’t think there is anything wrong with being confident. We need to obey when God tells us to be bold or be a leader.

The danger comes when, like the Chaldeans, our strength becomes our god. We get a surge of pride whenever anyone comments, “I just don’t know how you get it all done!” We criticize others who crumble when hard times come. We think to ourselves “I wouldn’t wilt like that. I’m stronger than that.”

Our strength becomes our god. That is the wrong view of strength. God is the one who gives us the energy to get through our to-do list. God is the one who gives us the strength to persevere when our work or ministry is not easy.

Strength is not god; God is our strength.

More of Habakkuk

Although we have finished the book of Habakkuk, there is one more part in our series. How does the New Testament quote and use the book of Habakkuk? The New Testament’s use is not an afterthought from the Holy Spirit. The way the New Testament quotes Habakkuk is a key player in turning the world upside down.