'I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Sovereign LORD is my strength.'
The words of Habakuk are written in the midst of calamity. He describes in vivid, physical terms, the fear in his heart as his nation is overcome by invading forces leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. In material terms there seems little cause for hope; vines and olives cultivated in anticipation of a rich harvest have yielded no fruit; even the buds, which signal some promise of a future return, have failed to appear. By measures of well-being that have prevailed to this day, Habakuk has no reason to rejoice. Yet his words defy these outward circumstances; his resolve remains to celebrate, be joyful, to find strength in the face of all that surrounds him.
The inescapable question, embodied in the prophet's sentiments, asks "is God enough?" Our Advent hope finds its fulfilment in the coming of Christ into the world; God clothed in flesh engaging afresh with the humanity that He loves. It is this faith-defining reality which gives rise to the response that God is indeed enough.
For some in our world, the calamitous economic circumstances described by the prophet will be all too familiar. For others, the military threats which undermined and had destroyed Habakuk's world, have a disturbing familiarity in our own. And for those who pause to reflect, the two might well be more related that we feel comfortable admitting. We face increasing violence, instability and terrorism to which there seem no apparent or easy solutions.
Yet like the prophet, as Advent people we can declare with equal certainty, our hope and confidence in God. We do so, not with indifference to the plight of our world and fellow human beings, or by somehow seeking to avoid their reality.
As we confront the worst in our world, not only do our own concerns feel somewhat trivial, but we remain convinced that our hope in God is of greater significance. Prince of peace, Light of the world, hope of the nations remain true as descriptions of the One in whom we believe - our vision of God is not shaped by immediate circumstances; rather, it is our vision of God that defines how we ultimately understand them. It is this that fosters our undiminished hope whatever immediate circumstances might prevail.
God of every age in history, no matter what may lurk in the darkness that surrounds, remind me each day of who you are and always have been.
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