Encouragement Letters

Good Morning Friend,

The sovereign Lord is my strength. (Habakkuk 3:19)

Last month we looked at the concluding verses of the book of Habakkuk The author started the book with tough, persistent questions . . . WHY? and HOW LONG? . . . but he ended the book focusing on the WHO. When he focused on the Lord, he soared in confidence and positive expectation. Even when the circumstances around him continued to be tough, he discovered a jubilant joy that remained steady. Perhaps the explanation is found in 3:19 when he declares . . . The Sovereign Lord is my strength. This verse mentions two of the Lord's attributes: His strength and His sovereignty.

• HIS STRENGTH is mentioned often in the Scriptures. And it is often modified with adjectives and adverbs as in Ephesians 1:19 where Paul speaks of God's incomparably great power. Theologians tell us that He has power over power. Many of the biblical authors speak of His power . . .

Moses celebrated God's power in the hymn that he and Miriam sang to the Lord in Exodus 15. The hymn included these phrases . . .The Lord is my strength and my song. . . O Lord, your right hand is majestic in power . . .Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? . . .

David says . . . I love you, O Lord, my strength . . . you are my stronghold . . . It is God who arms me with strength . . . phrases from Psalm 18.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, while facing death in the fiery furnace, said to King Nebuchadnezzar, If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it. (Daniel 3:17)

Nehemiah, while being threatened from his antagonists, confidently lifted his voice to the Lord and said . . . Oh God, now strengthen my hands (Nehemiah 6:9).

• HIS SOVEREIGNTY is an attribute that speaks of His Lordship. When we call Him Lord and King, we speak of His sovereignty. We affirm the following . . . that He is in control . . . that He is in charge. At the end of the road when we look back over the totality of life, we will see that in all things, He led us. He put us in the right place at the right time. When we grasp this truth of His sovereignty, we will no longer use these words and phrases: "coincidence," "chance," and "it just happened." Indeed, God orchestrates our lives . . . the days and the moments.

The Scriptures are clear in presenting God's strength and His sovereignty. And they cannot be separated from each other. So again, listen to the verse: The Sovereign Lord is my strength. Here's what it meant to the man, Habakkuk. And here's what it can mean in our lives. His strength is available to us. His sovereignty is always operative in our world. Now believe it. Grasp it, and confidently walk with Him, being fully convinced that He is in control. Trust Him. You need not be frazzled during the tough times of life. You can intrust yourself totally to Him

Now the pivotal questions.. Do you really believe that God is both strong and sovereign? Do you trust Him enough to believe that He will bring the best out of every tough time? Right now you might be in the middle of a crisis. Perhaps you are unsure about the future, But if you really believe that He is your Sovereign Lord, you can say to Him, "Jesus, take the wheel."

Be encouraged,

Lareau Lindquist

Founder, Senior Associate

LEL:dpc