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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
How long have you prayed over some particular matter, and you do not see the answer for which you have looked? Has some specific prayer been on your heart for months or years, and you feel like giving up? No – don’t. We never know when we may be just one day away from receiving God’s reply.
Come – turn to Habakkuk Chapter 1 – where we read of - the Word which this prophet of God received - or - the Burden which he saw. We have here a Word from God and we see something of the concern of the man of God - the prophet of God. Prophets share God's heart - they share His feelings - and they break up His Word for the people to be able to receive it.
Prophets share God's heart - they share His feelings - and they break up His Word for the people to be able to receive it.
This prophecy is a little different, as this Book is addressed to God.
Habakkuk has questions he wishes to raise with Almighty God. And he also hears from God. We can also learn how to ask questions of God and learn how to hear from God.
Do you have questions you want to ask God? Then go ahead ask them.
Habakkuk never intended to become a prophet, and that usually makes for a good reliable prophet. This prophecy is delivered in written form. He wrote it down, and he intended it to be set to music and sung. Music can be prophetically directed at times.
We do not know much about Habakkuk. His name means - an embrace - or clasp. Could this portray a man holding fast to God - or wrestling with God - even a rather violent confrontation with God?
This prophecy is given and written at time when Israel was in a very difficult situation. She was sandwiched between Assyria and Egypt, and soon the mighty empire of Babylon would emerge - and God used Babylon to conquer Israel and take the people away into captivity for 70 years.
In Israel, law and order was collapsing - the nation was disintegrating - violence was increasing - and there was much injustice.
Nobody seemed to be able to do anything about it.
It is around the year 600 B.C. Habakkuk is a contemporary of Jeremiah and Nahum.
These three chapters have been called - 1. Prophetic prayer - 2. Prophetic preaching - and 3. Prophetic Praise. We need all three.
“Lord God Almighty – we bow before You – we humbly come opening ourselves to what You have to say to us in the current cosmic climate. When we consider the circumstances at the time of Habakkuk and look around our world in 2026 the parallel drives us to Your Holy Word for answers and clarity and confidence in You because we come before a God who protects and provides. We worship You in and through the name of Jesus, our Saviour and Lord.” Amen.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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