The Gospel Coalition

I woke up this morning with Habakkuk 3 on my mind. I didn’t know why. Just had a few of the verses dangling there in my consciousness — namely, the whole deal in v.4 with the Lord shooting lasers from his fists (that’s how I picture it anyway) and stirring up the oceans in his chariot (vv.8,10). I haven’t been studying this passage lately, and I can’t think of any reason why it should’ve been on my waking mind. But there it was.

Just now I thought to pull up my sermon notes on the chapter. I’ve preached through Habakkuk twice, most recently last year. I wanted to review how I preached it. Pulling up my outline for the relevant text (Habakkuk 3:1-16), do you want to guess what date I preached the sermon on? July 24, 2011. One year ago today exactly.

That’s weird.

It’s a reminder to me, though, that God has all my days written in his book. He knows what will come to me before I do and he knows what he’s doing in and through the days of my life even if I never do this side of heaven. July 24, 2011 to July 24, 2012 is no mystery to him. And when I read these verses in Habakkuk 3 –

O Lord, I have heard the report of you,
and your work, O Lord, do I fear.
In the midst of the years revive it;
in the midst of the years make it known;
in wrath remember mercy.
God came from Teman,
and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covered the heavens,
and the earth was full of his praise.
His brightness was like the light;
rays flashed from his hand;
and there he veiled his power.
Before him went pestilence,
and plague followed at his heels.
He stood and measured the earth;
he looked and shook the nations;
then the eternal mountains were scattered;
the everlasting hills sank low.
His were the everlasting ways.
I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction;
the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord?
Was your anger against the rivers,
or your indignation against the sea,
when you rode on your horses,
on your chariot of salvation?
You stripped the sheath from your bow,
calling for many arrows. Selah
You split the earth with rivers.
The mountains saw you and writhed;
the raging waters swept on;
the deep gave forth its voice;
it lifted its hands on high.
The sun and moon stood still in their place
at the light of your arrows as they sped,
at the flash of your glittering spear.

– I am glad this mighty God is my just vindication in life and death. What sheer majesty, what terrible power, what fearful splendor! And in the gospel, the eternal bigness of God’s judging and saving glory was with me and for me the last 365 days, and will be for all the ages to come.

Thank you, lasers-shooting-from-your-fists Lord Jesus.