The Relevance Of “Habakkuk”

THURS., AUG. 23, 2001, 10:38 AM
CONF. RM., PULLIAM

The first two chapters of Habakkuk, an old friend of Mine, certainly are full of woe and expectations of “trouble.” This was a time when the Hebrew people, who Habakkuk addressed as “My chosen people,” were being threatened by peoples who no longer exist by the names of “this servant’s” time. There apparently was death and destruction, and Habakkuk was crying out to Me, as their Yahweh God, for help. So the question comes to you, “Was I truly the “Cause” of their hardships or were these false accusations?”

And, more importantly, if I was the “Cause,” in order to chastise My Chosen People, is this still My Way, today, in today’s world. Of course, you Christians now consider yourselves to be My Latter Day Chosen People, and you can’t be sure whether this means that you supplant the Jews or that you’re BOTH Chosen People. And if there are Chosen People, what about the rest of humankind, which, of course, is the majority, in numbers?

You are an American. a middle class American, retired from a good life’s work with an adequate retirement income (supplanted by what your parents left you). You are a Christian, by upbringing, and a born-again Christian, by My choice. These actually, you see, are different “identities,” the latter being more “individual” than the former. You still are considered a part of your former Department, enough to be able to use this room for this encounter with Me. You are part of a retirement “community,” but this has little tangibility for you now… and this will probably continue.

In your adult life you have been an active Christian, and you have contributed well to the churches of which you have been a member. Yet you are a “closet mystic” in relation to most of your fellow Presbys, with a wife and two sons who “accept” what We do together, you and Holy Spirit, of course.

You are pleased that you’re not “called” to be a prophet, as Habakkuk was (whoever he was?). You would be quite uncomfortable criticizing your culture (good as it has been to you, professionally, educationally, and economically) for its shortcomings, many of which you “mirror.” You feel that yours isn’t a perfect culture, certainly, but it is a leader in the world of nations today, and it is difficult to be a “humble leader.” Does your culture spend too much on military might and preparedness… or is it now too little for a “leader”? If you don’t take a leadership role, who… what nation… will?

You feel at least a bit like Habakkuk, as a part of this culture, even as your stive to live rather simply, not wasting your means on unnecessary “things.” Am I satisfied, at least, with your priorities in your use of time and money? You do thank Me, fairly often, for your life, for you do feel, as you should, that I Am with you in it. But this means that your life is some indeterminant combination of My special concerns for you AND tests of your spirit, in “negative” happenings… some that I cause (not many) and some that I allow (most).

Compared with Habakkuk (at least as he described it, in two short chapters) your life has been, and is, much less troublesome… you have less to moan about! You accept that these losses and disabilities are not so much punishments as just challenges to your spirit. And after all of his bitching, Habakkuk came to the same conclusion. “Thank You, Lord, for being with me, whatever the circumstances and consequences.”

Be thankful that there are many “places” where I can tell you what I think about life… and, specifically, yours. Be thankful that you can still see well enough to record these Teachings (though I do notice, this morning, an apparent “overdose” of coffee). Be thankful for the strengths that you still have… even for some of the aches and pains that remind you that “you’re still here” and functioning pretty well.