Everything God has done throughout history has been for redemptive purposes. Even in the challenging messages of the Old Testament prophets, the redemption of God’s people was foremost on His mind.

At the end of Habakkuk’s prophecy, as his knees trembled and his lips quivered in fear at the power of God, he asked, “Was it in anger, Lord, that you struck the rivers and parted the sea? Were you displeased with them? No, you were sending your chariots of salvation!” (Habakkuk 3:8).

Habakkuk finally realized God’s motivation for what was happening, “You went out to rescue your chosen people, to save your anointed ones” (vs. 13). The Lord would save His people when it seemed impossible for that to happen because of their sin. God’s plan for redemption was more powerful than the lure of the sin they had embraced.

As Habakkuk surveyed what was happening in his life, he declared, “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, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights” (vs. 17-19).

As we assess the unstable condition of the world, the Lord will make us as surefooted as a deer able to tread upon a higher revelation. We will walk upon His truth and see God’s plan of redemption when the surrounding evidence says the opposite. Because the Sovereign Lord is our strength, He will place our feet on solid places in uncertain times. Like Habakkuk, in unstable times and places, we will confidently say, “The Sovereign Lord is our strength!”