For some time now I’ve been reading and meditating on the Old Testament book of Habakkuk. I was prompted to do this while praying about the direction our country and the world were heading in.
Habakkuk 1:5 caught my attention. Listen to what it says: “Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told.”
This is what I would call an impact statement. It jumps out of the text and grabs your attention. I thought, now that’s what I need to focus on as I begin this New Year. Find out what God is going to do and join Him. But before I start dreaming about the exciting possibilities that will utterly amaze me, that will be hard for me to believe if I were told, I need to stop and be sure I’m considering the context in which this statement is found.
The prophet was complaining to God in the opening verses of the book about the sinful, compromised conditions prevailing in Israel at the time. God answered his complaint, beginning with this impact statement. His heart must have been pounding with excitement as he heard God say, “Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed.”
He probably didn’t focus on the first words, because he was concerned about his own nation, not the surrounding nations. But I’m sure he heard, “be utterly amazed.” God promised “to do something (he) would not believe even if (he) were told!”
Let’s try to find out in subsequent programs what God meant in this impact statement.
