Finding Joy in Calamity; Hab. 3:16-19

Delivered during the New Year's Eve Service, 12/31/2024. When God revealed the inevitable cataclysmic destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians, Habakkuk was devastated and wrestled with the severity of Yahweh's retribution. But by the end of his prophecy, we find him quietly awaiting the disaster, placing his faith in the goodness and Providence of God. What follows is one of the most beautiful examples of poetry in Scripture. We will analyze the last few verses of this poem where Habakkuk realizes that faith in Yahweh's ultimate grace is the path to joy, strength, a sure-footing and spiritual elevation in the face of cataclysmic hardship. As we face a new year, we will find great comfort in Habakkuk's words as we search for and find the joy that is possible in the face of calamity through faith in the Providence of God.