Praise Will Elevate You.

January 23, 2022 Cyndi

Habakkuk 3:17-19 main verses

Based on the entire book of Habakkuk

Habakkuk is a prophet who is having a dialogue with God. The leaders in Judah were oppressing the poor, so Habakkuk went to God asking why He allowed these wicked people to prosper. In essence, in chapter 1, Habakkuk first asked why and how long? Just like us, he wanted to know the reason and the season. First the Lord tells him, he wouldn’t understand if even if He told him; and then God tells him that the Chaldeans would come to punish the leaders in Judah. Basically, God said it’s going to get worse. Sometimes that’s the way it is with us when we are going through a trial- at midnight hour, we pray and cry out to God and the situation gets worse. He becomes even more concerned because the Chaldeans were actually more wicked than the wicked Jewish leaders and Habakkuk didn’t understand how God could use them. Then in chapter 1 vs.12-17, Habakkuk complains.

Notice the pattern, he moves from questioning to complaining. God’s answer was unusual. God answers that ‘the just shall live by faith in God and that the just have to be assured that God was doing what was right”. And that is not easy when we’re going through a midnight hour. He also told Habakkuk that in due time the Chaldeans would be judged and that justice would come about for the people of God. In chapter 2 vs. 2-20 God answers Habakkuk in a vision and tells him to write it down. (That’s why it’s always good to write down a word or message that God gives that speaks to your heart, because often in difficult times we may need to refer back to it.)

In chapter 3, Habakkuk responds in prayer and praise. Habakkuk gives a Shabach- speaks well of God and Todah-thanksgiving for the past blessings of God. Throughout these verse, he asks God to repeat His acts of deliverance, recounts God’s redeeming acts, remembers God’s History with his people and he claims God’s strength for the present crisis. (Sometimes, we have to reflect on past victories and deliverance in our lives or those of friends and family in order to praise God now.)

In vs. 17 , Habakkuk goes through a list of midnight hours situations relevant to his day but are symbolic of some of the things we go through today.

We can relate :

fruit-fertility ——growth in your life, relationships, career, home, children

olive -source of oil- precious mineral – finances, bill, check being garnished, IRS

Flock, herd – gathering of animals or people – family or church

In verse 18 (despite all of this) he speaks of rejoicing- to be filled with joy so much that its coming out of your being. He recognizes that the joy of the Lord is his strength.

He also recognized. that strength would help him to rise above the situation. Please keep in mind, the situation has not changed yet – praise changed Habakkuk’s attitude He realizes that this strength took him to another plain or level- he relates it to hinds feet.

Through research I found out that: A hind is a female deer- who jumps and gallops in a steady trot, she has firm footing on soft mucky surface of the summer and on the winters ice and snow. No matter the season the hind is steady, stable and able to endure. What did praise do for Habakkuk? It gave him strength, it enabled him to rise above the circumstance and lastly it helped him to walk in high places. He calls them “MY” high places. These high places belong to us.

We don’t belong in the valley, we are the head and not the tail, we should mount up with wings like eagles.

So if you are going through a midnight hour now, remember:

that the battle is not yours but it’s the Lords.
that without the test, there is no testimony.
that what you’re going through today will only be a memory tomorrow.

Not matter what season you’re in, whether it’s winter or summer when you praise God you acquire the strength to rise above the circumstance into your high places.

It’s your attitude that will determine your altitude. Do you want to rise to a higher level? Do you want strength for the situation you are going through? Do you want firm footing? Do you want to move up to higher ground. Then put on the attitude of praise because praise will elevate you.