The Prayer of Habakkuk - Habakkuk 3:17-19

Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup

The communion meditation today is based on a passage of Scripture from the Old Testament, Habakkuk 3:17-19. In this passage of Scripture, the prophet Habakkuk finds confidence to face the trials of life. His joy and strength came from God, not the prevailing conditions of the world around Him. As we remember Jesus today by partaking of the bread and drinking the fruit of the vine from the cup, we are reminded of His love for us. In Him, we have joy and strength, no matter the challenges of this life. All Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation (NLT) and are used with permission

As you listen to the episode today, my hope is that you will be encouraged from the time spent meditating on what Jesus has done for you. You are a special person; the one Jesus died to save!

Transcript

Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup. The title of my communion meditation today is "The Prayer of Habakkuk." I read from Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NLT). All Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation (NLT) and are used with permission.

17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,

      and there are no grapes on the vines;

even though the olive crop fails,

      and the fields lie empty and barren;

even though the flocks die in the fields,

      and the cattle barns are empty,

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD!

      I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength!

      He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

      able to tread upon the heights.

Habakkuk was a prophet of God. He lived in perilous times. His people had forsaken God, and God told him He was raising up the Babylonians to "march across the world and conquer other lands" including Judea. The day of reckoning was approaching. Habakkuk knew the situation was bad; however, it was going to get much, much worse. As a byproduct of war, the staples of life would be taken away; the fig; the grape; the olive; the flocks; and ultimately, the people. All would be stripped bare. Habakkuk had a choice. He could focus on what he was about to lose or focus on what he had instead. Habakkuk chose the latter. What he had was the strength of the Sovereign LORD! His Sovereign God was the Master of all things, and he could trust God because He knew how everything fit together. Habakkuk also had the LORD, the One who established the covenant, the One who promised that He would redeem and save His chosen people, including him. Yes, the day of judgment was near, but God also promised mercy and reconciliation if His people would return to Him. Ever find yourself in the same situation as Habakkuk? The choice between focusing on our losses versus our blessings? While you are thinking it over, let me be the first to admit that I have. I have walked in Habakkuk's sandals, and have come to his same conclusion, and so have you. Our joy is the God of our salvation. Our strength is the Sovereign LORD. He guides our steps so that we will not slip! We celebrate our hope as we partake of the bread and drink the fruit of the vine from the cup. These are our reminders of the price Jesus paid to redeem us. We are His and we look forward to the day He will return to take us home. Nothing else satisfies the longing in our hearts like the love of God, and nothing can ever take His love away from us. Let us pray.

Abba, Father. Today we bless and set aside this bread and the fruit of the vine in this cup to remember Your Son, Jesus. We know that the bread represents His body that was nailed to the cross, and the fruit of the vine represents His blood that He shed for us. As we pour out the wine from the cup, we are reminded of how Jesus poured out His own blood that our sins might be forgiven. Abba, Father, we know how it feels to walk in Habakkuk's sandals. We have experienced his sorrow and his joy. Because of Your Son, Jesus, we are confident in this world. He gave His life on the cross that we might be redeemed from this world and added to Your kingdom. As we partake of the bread and drink the fruit of the vine in the cup, we remember Jesus and His suffering for us. He is our joy and our strength. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Today, Jesus invites you to partake of His supper. I read from Matthew 26:26-28 (NLT).

26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” Let us partake of the bread.

27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many." Let us partake of the cup.

And the assembly of believers said, "Amen!"

Until next time, from Numbers 6:24-26, "May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace."

Artist's Note: If you have questions about the Lord's Supper, I invite you to visit my website, https://eatthisbreaddrinkthiscup.com, for a brief overview. The Eat This Bread Drink This Cup podcast is listed in most podcast directories, and I invite you to add my podcast to your favorites and be notified of new posts. There is a written transcript that accompanies each podcast, and you are free to use the transcript in accordance with US copyright law. My prayer is that you will benefit personally from this time with Jesus and encourage others to observe the Lord's Supper. In these trying times, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus!