When I was growing up, my best friend in the whole world was Mercedes. We were in school together from early elementary, all the way through graduation. We didn’t remain close that entire time, but from about 5th grade through 10th grade we were inseparable.
Back in the day, cell phones didn’t exist yet (How did we ever survive?) and it was common to write letters. Even when I would go to Mississippi to visit my grandmother, she would have me write a letter to my parents telling them of my experiences while with her. I would spend one morning writing them a letter and then we would stick it in the mail that afternoon. These letters never required a response, because I was returning home a few days later.
But Mercedes and I. We could write some letters. Our letters ALWAYS required a response. We wrote to each other so often, that we quit using different pieces of paper and would just write our responses on the same letter, fold it up into a triangle and pass it back. We did this for the entirety of our friendship.
One summer Mercedes gave me a journal. Instead of writing little notes back and forth, we would write whole pages or two in the journal and then pass the journal back and forth to each other.
I remember waiting with eager anticipation to receive the journal back from Mercedes and hear all about her adventures that summer. We shared everything with each other. Our hopes and dreams for the future. Our thoughts and feelings about every situation. Our joys and happiness, as well as our hurt and confusion. Every outward expression and experience we shared together. Every hidden, quiet secret as well.
There was such intimacy to our relationship. I could hear her voice in the distance and immediately know it was her. I could see a figure in the distance and call her out because I was familiar with how she carried herself. I could read something and know she wrote it. Not just because I recognized her writing but I also knew the way she wrote and the way she phrased things. We could finish each other’s sentences. It was like we had our own language. A love language, and these were our love letters.
This is how I see Habakkuk.
In case I didn’t share with you last time, Habakkuk is not like any other book in the bible. If you’ve read it for yourself, you know this already. It is unique in that it is not so much an account of what’s happening in Habakkuk’s time as it is a prayer journaling experience with God.
Habakkuk cries out to the Lord, “Lord, how long must I cry for help?”.
His cry doesn’t make the book unique. Many authors in the bible record similar such cries. Especially in the Psalms.
“Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me!” – Psalm 27:7
What really stands out to me is that Habakkuk continues. Not only with his prayers, but with God’s responses. It’s his love letter. Habakkuk’s heart’s cry to God and God’s heart in return.
“The Lord replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.” Habakkuk 1:5
Aaaaaaahhhhhh…. Goosebumps! What I would give to receive such a letter from God.
My immediate response is that above, but my spirit corrects me. I already HAVE a love letter from God. YOU already have a love letter from God.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3
Not only is our love letter in Jesus Christ himself, but it’s in His word. All we have to do is read it. When our heart cries out to him in prayer, he responds;
“Look, you mockers, be amazed . . . For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.” Acts 13:41
When our prayers seem to go unanswered, and things aren’t going our way, He responds;
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19
Jesus wants us to seek the One who answers our prayers and not the answer itself.
We need to…. I NEED to wait for his response with eager anticipation. He longs for us to share everything with each other. Our hopes and dreams for the future. Our thoughts and feelings about every situation. Our joys and happiness, as well as our hurt and confusion. Every outward expression and experience we share together. Every hidden, quiet secret as well.
He longs for this kind of intimacy in our relationship. So that I can hear His voice in the distance and immediately know it is him. I can see a figure in the distance and call Him out because I’m familiar with how He carries himself. I can read something and know He wrote it. Not just because I recognize his writing but also because I know the way He writes in my heart and in His word. We can finish each other’s sentences.
We have our own language. A love language, and these are our love letters.
Exchange your desire for an answer to your prayers for the One who answers prayers. Imprint His words on your heart, write them on your doorposts and in your journals!
