When you recognize that “the LORD is in His holy temple” (2:20), you rest in His purposes, even if things are not currently as you wish. But such faith does not prevent you from expressing your desires to God in prayer. At the start of Habakkuk 3, the prophet asks the LORD to show unexpected mercy. He knows what God said about the Babylonians coming in wrath, but he pleads that the LORD would somehow revive His people in the midst of their suffering (v 1-2). Using highly poetic language, Habakkuk recalls a number of instances in the past when God saved His people by overturning their enemies. From the land of Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the Promised Land, God delivered the Israelites, leading them by the bright cloud of His presence. God parted the Red Sea for them, and later the Jordan. Then He intervened to bring a sensational victory in the days of Joshua. Like a great warrior with bow and spear, the LORD fought for the salvation of His covenant people (v 3-15). So Habakkuk knows that the LORD cannot be defeated. As he considers the coming Babylonian invasion, his entire body trembles with intense fear. He resolves to wait patiently for God to unleash His power against the enemy, fully aware that the enemy will first bring divine judgment upon Judah (v 16). Then, in a stunning conclusion to his book, Habakkuk records one of the greatest confessions of faith in the entire Bible. No matter what calamities are facing him, now or in the future, the prophet knows he will never be without the joy that comes from knowing his Savior. Even if he loses everything—including income and food supply—Habbakuk will choose to “rejoice in the LORD,” who can never be taken from him (v 17-18). God is his strength! Habakkuk pictures himself as a prancing deer, frolicking on a mountaintop. He has gone from the valley of despair in chapter 1 to the summit of joy in chapter 3. Though his knees were knocking in v 16, now the LORD has him running faster and climbing higher than ever before! (v 19). Today, your life may also be full of problems, and the future may look bleak. Yet like Habakkuk, our reasons to be happy in God are always greater than our reasons to be unhappy. God has saved us from sin and death, and we are His forever! If you are a believer in Jesus, His purposes are always for your good and His glory. Your wise and loving God will never leave you or forsake you. No matter what happens, by God’s strength, you too can rise above your circumstances to dance with joy, like a sure-footed deer on the mountain! For further meditation: