Whitetail Deer

 

I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. 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. (Habakkuk 3:16-19).

 

I’m not sure of the “how”, though I am sure of the “what” when it comes to the number of deer in the neighborhoods in Parker County Texas. They seem to be in even the most developed neighborhoods. I suppose they have figured out there’s plenty to eat and little danger if they make their homes near the subdivisions. Perhaps the same is true where you live. Lots of them are living closer to our cities nowadays. Whether city deer or country deer, they have one thing in common: if you startle them they bound quickly away with their “white flags” (tails) waving the warning. This is the image captured by the prophet Habakkuk in our reading today (v. 19).

 

This ending is all the more impressive because the book starts out with a rough cry of despair: “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” (Habakkuk 1:2). The prophet goes on to ask, in effect, “If you are the sovereign God of the universe, why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper?”

 

If we have ever felt trapped in a spiritually dark place, we may have thought the same things: How long must this go on? Where is God? Is he listening? Why won’t he just answer? From his dark place, Habakkuk emerges to a newly deepened faith, a faith not dependent on what he actually sees with his eyes. Indeed, he’s prepared for more struggles and waiting; yet he says, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” With this confession of faith on his lips, Habakkuk’s spirit is revived, like the springing, leaping feet of a deer on the hills.

 

This is the provision of God for all believers. He gives us the strength and ability to flee from danger; or, in the case of facing it, we have the gift of strength to overcome it in Him. Whatever you’re facing today, trust Him. It will not have the victory over you.