“O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.”
(Habakkuk 3:2)
Natural man has a tendency to presume on God’s patience… mistaking His silence for approval and His patience for indifference… though Scripture repeatedly warns against this deception. His delay of judgment is mercy, not permission. And yet men continue in pride, unbelief, impurity, and worldliness because His punishment is not immediate.
The prophet Habakkuk, however, heard the voice of God and trembled under the majesty, judgment, and holiness of the Lord. His response was not indifference but that of holy fear.
Habakkuk not only trembled; he also pleaded: “In wrath remember mercy.” He believes the God who judges also shows compassion and that His warnings are designed not only to terrify but to awaken the sinner to seek refuge in Him.
Such a warning extends to believers as well, for we, too, can abuse divine goodness. Our reverence for God and His holiness can easily fade beneath familiarity. In addition, seasons of peace, answered prayer, and continual mercy may in time cause spiritual carelessness.
So we must ensure that our love for God remains joined with holy fear and that our confidence is not without reverence. While we are allowed access to God as His children, we still need to remember that we are in the presence of infinite majesty. He is never indifferent to sin[1] such as careless worship or distracted prayer or only our passing thoughts. In fact, in cases of spiritual neglect and lack of reverence He may choose to restore our holy fear through His providences of affliction.
At the same time, Habakkuk’s prayer was one of hope because His mercy was still available. God delights to restore those who return humbly before Him as Habakkuk did. Indeed, the trembling soul that seeks His mercy will not be cast away.
This passage calls us to confess the sin of forgetting God’s holiness inside the abundance of His patience and to respond to Him with holy fear joined with repentance and renewed dependence upon His grace.
Contemplations:
- My Abuse of God’s Patience. I often treat God’s patience as though it were ordinary. Because judgment does not fall immediately, I become less watchful over sin and less serious in repentance. God delays judgment out of mercy, and I have too often answered that mercy with carelessness.
- My Lack of Holy Fear. I fear many things in this world more than I fear offending God. Human opinions, earthly losses, and temporary troubles affect me deeply, while divine holiness often feels distant to my heart. Habakkuk trembled at God’s voice, yet I often hear Scripture repeatedly without being moved.
- My Familiarity with Grace. There are times when grace becomes so familiar that reverence fades. I expect mercy, prayer, forgiveness, and comfort while forgetting the greatness of the God who gives them. This passage reminds me that love and fear belong together. Nearness to God through Christ should increase worship, not diminish reverence.
- My Need for Revival. Habakkuk prayed for God to revive His work in the midst of difficult days. I need that prayer myself. I need God to continually awaken me again to His holiness, mercy, and majesty so that I do not continue drifting into spiritual coldness.
Prayer (Confession):
Most holy and glorious God, I come before You confessing how often I have abused Your patience and forgotten Your holiness. You have shown me repeated mercies, preserved me through many failures, and continued speaking through Your Word even though my heart remains far less reverent than it ought to be.
Lord, I confess that I frequently mistake Your patience for permission. Because judgment does not come quickly, I become careless concerning sin. I continue receiving mercies while neglecting deeper repentance. Forgive me for treating Your longsuffering as though it were ordinary rather than extraordinary grace.
Habakkuk trembled at Your voice, yet I often hear divine truth with little inward movement. Your majesty should humble me, Your judgments should awaken me, and Your holiness should cause reverence, yet my heart can remain cold and familiar with sacred things.
I confess careless prayers, distracted thoughts, wandering affections, and light approaches to holy duties. Too often I draw near outwardly while inward awe diminishes. Restore to me a deeper sense of who You are and who I am before You.
Lord, I acknowledge how easily I abuse seasons of peace and mercy. When life grows comfortable, I drift into spiritual carelessness. I begin expecting grace while forgetting the severity my sins deserve. Forgive me for receiving blessings without responding in gratitude and reverence.
Thank You that trembling sinners may still plead for mercy. Habakkuk prayed, “In wrath remember mercy,” and I come with the same plea. Apart from Your intercession, I would have no refuge before Your holiness.
Finally, Lord, teach me to respond rightly both to mercy and to warning. Let every providence, every sermon, and every reminder of eternity draw me nearer to You in humility and worship.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Further Scripture References for Habakkuk 3:2:
Psalm 85:6; Habakkuk 3:16; Psalm 6:2; Psalm 119:120
[1] Thomas Vincent, God’s Terrible Voice in the City, (London: s.n, 1667), 199-203.
