High Places

Habakkuk 3:17-19
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will exult in the LORD.
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.
For the choir director, on my stringed instruments

When Habakkuk prayed these verses in chapter 3, he was in the middle of some pretty scary times. The vision God gave to him was an ugly picture of the violent destruction of Jerusalem. A picture that caused Habakkuk’s inward parts to tremble (3:16).

Verse 17 clearly shows that the people of Jeruselem will suffer and that there will be desolation in the land – nothing will grow in the fields, no food, no cattle. I don’t know about you, but me…I’m flippin’ out if I have to skip breakfast (it is the most important meal of the day). But Habakkuk - his country’s entire food supply is about to be wiped out and in verse 18, he is jumping for joy. It says he rejoices in the God of his salvation. He doesn’t question God, he doesn’t get mad at God, he doesn’t begrudgingly accept God’s plan. He rejoices.

How can he do such a thing? He can rejoice because God has given him hinds’ feet. A hind is a female red deer that lives in the mountains. God, in his perfect and infinite wisdom, knew when he created the hind, that if it were going to survive in the treacherous terrain of the mountains, it would need to be sure footed. So God equipped the hind with the ability to place the rear feet in exactly the same location as that of where the front feet have just been. This allows the deer to run and jump from rock to rock, easily navigating the rough terrain of the mountains. Habakkuk was definitely living in a rough terrain, but in an amazing display of faith, he rejoices in the knowledge that the Lord is his strength and that the Lord has equipped him with hind’s feet to navigate the rough terrain of his high places.

Notice in verse 19, Habakkuk writes that God makes him walk on “my high places”. High places can be pretty scary for a lot of people. When I climbed Half Dome in Yosemite, it was a 12 hour, 16 mile hike round trip with about a 4800 feet elevation gain. The last 400 foot stretch of the hike is the most treacherous. It requires that you pull yourself up to the top using cables. Many hikers journey to the base of the half dome peak and turn around in fear. They miss out on the most amazing part of the hike – the highest place. The view from the top makes the grueling 16 mile hike all worth it. Snow topped peaks, green forests, roaring waterfalls - I could see the beauty of God’s creation for miles. It was definitely challenging and my heart was beating pretty fast in some of the more treacherous parts of the hike. But when I got to the top…Wow…I was awestruck.

Did you know that God has a “high place” for each and every one of us. The journey at times might be challenging and treacherous, but it’s also a place that we are fully equipped to navigate. It’s the place where you were created to live. It’s the place where you glorify the Lord and walk in obedience even when it gets tough. It’s the place where you fulfill the specific purpose for which God created you and what is more beautiful than fulfilling your individual purpose? And what is more beautiful than a life eternal with God our Father in heaven?

My prayer for all of us, is that as God leads us to our next high place, that we will not turn around in fear. That we will follow obediently and rejoice in the knowledge that He is our strength and that he has equipped us for the journey. That we will rejoice in our God who reigns and watch in awe as He fulfills His plan for our salvation

Has God recently led you to a “high place”? What was your response?

Todays post was submitted by Kelly Coxe