Reflections: Write the vision

Continuing my study of the minor prophets, I find those guys exceptionally relatable in light of current events. A few days ago, though, a verse jumped out at me as not only meaningful in context of biblical prophecy, but in personal context as well. That verse was Habakkuk 2:2, “Write down this vision, and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it” (BSB).  

If you’re not familiar with Habakkuk, his prophetic writings were in the context of waiting. The northern kingdom of Israel had fallen to Assyria, and the enemy loomed large and real for the southern kingdom of Judah, so it’s understandable that his writing opens with, “How long, oh Lord?” God’s answer, basically, was “I’m on it,” but the problem was, He didn’t specify when. We’ve all been there, right? 

In his waiting, though, Habakkuk took action. Chapter 2 opens by saying he ascended an observation point to wait for God’s answer. Scholars differ regarding whether this was a literal high point offering a better view of the surrounding landscape, or a metaphorical application of positioning oneself to hear from God. Either way, God’s next instruction to Habakkuk was to “write down” the answer. 

As I studied the passage in my print Bible and phone app, I also picked up another study tool I always keep near—my journal. This habit began during a season of overwhelm several years ago: Dealing with the recent death of my sister, my dad’s declining health, and my father-in-law needing to live with us for a while, on top of my full-time job and family responsibilities. 

Sadly, during that time I had little in-person Christian community; local country churches were a bit cliquish (bless their hearts!) so it was a commute to one where we fit in; and my work friends had their own elderly parents or health challenges. That’s when I felt God’s prompting to be more faithful to daily Bible study, so I made a commitment to rise early, get quiet on my porch, and eliminate distractions so I could read the Word and hear from Him. I gained valuable community by interacting with other app users, and that’s also when I began using real paper and a real pen to write down what God spoke to me as I studied. 

That writing turned into a prayer journal and devotional notes that later became blog posts and columns, and a lasting record of what I felt God speaking to me. Many times, I’ve looked back through it and seen how God has answered prayer, not always in the timing I might have wanted, but working through every situation. More than once, something God prompted me to write down has come to mind in a later conversation, to encourage someone else in a situation I didn’t even know about when I wrote it. 

As Habakkuk made himself available to listen, God assured him that the revelation “awaits an appointed time” (2:3). Some clarity likely came when Assyria fell to Babylon, but scholars believe much of his prophecy is still to be fulfilled in end-time events. Even as he faced dire possibilities, though, Habakkuk ends with a bold statement of faith: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to tread on the heights” (v.18-19).

I’m thankful Habakkuk obeyed the Lord’s instructions to “write the vision.” Those final verses have inspired numerous songs and hymns, and continue to inspire me as I look around at so many frightening current events. And as often happens, practical circumstances reinforced the lesson. I’ve been sorting through boxes of my parents’ things, and I’m so thankful for their notes, including in the margins of their Bibles. Both of those things inspire me to keep putting myself daily in a position to hear from God’s Word, and to keep writing things down.