你在家附近见过鹿吗？现在有许多鹿都生活得离城市越来越近了。鹿在受到惊吓时起劲地跳跃着跑开，我对此印象十分深刻。这幅图画捕捉到了先知哈巴谷在结束他这卷书时一个惊人的高音。
这卷书一开始带着绝望的呼喊：“耶和华阿，我呼求你，你不应允，要到几时呢？”（哈 1:2）因为这一点，它的结尾就更令人印象深刻了。先知继续问道：“如果祢是宇宙中至高的神，为什么义人遭难，恶人反倒昌盛呢？”
如果我们曾感到被困在某种属灵的黑暗处境，就可能会产生同样的想法：还要持续多久呢？神在哪里呢？祂在听吗？为什么祂不回应呢？
哈巴谷从他的黑暗处境中，显露出一种新的、更深邃的信心，一种不依赖实际眼见的信心。的确，他已经为更多的挣扎和等待做好了准备。但他说：“我要因耶和华欢欣，因救我的神喜乐。”随着哈巴谷嘴上的这句认信，他的灵就像山中母鹿快跑的蹄子般，苏醒了。
在另外一次，神的百姓处在巨大黑暗和不确定的处境时，神也在一如既往地垂听了，而耶稣基督——我们救主的出生，就是祂的回应。
神啊，在我们等候祢儿子到来时，我们相信祢有力量使我们苏醒，好使我们因祢，我们的主和救主而欢欣。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
哈巴谷书 3:17-19
17 虽然无花果树不发旺，葡萄树不结果，橄榄树也不效力，田地不出粮食，圈中绝了羊，棚内也没有牛，
18 然而我要因耶和华欢欣，因救我的神喜乐。
19 主耶和华是我的力量，他使我的脚快如母鹿的蹄，又使我稳行在高处。
"The sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to tread on the heights." — Habakkuk 3:19
Do you ever see deer in your neighborhood? Lots of them are living closer to our cities nowadays. When I see deer startled, I’m impressed by how they spring energetically away. This image captures the surprising high note on which the prophet Habakkuk closes his book.
This ending is all the more impressive because the book starts out with a rough cry of despair: “How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” (Habakkuk 1:2). The prophet goes on to ask, in effect, “If you are the sovereign God of the universe, why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper?”
If we have ever felt trapped in a spiritually dark place, we may have thought the same things: How long must this go on? Where is God? Is he listening? Why won’t he just answer?
From his dark place, Habakkuk emerges to a newly deepened faith, a faith not dependent on what he actually sees with his eyes. Indeed, he’s prepared for more struggles and waiting; yet he says, “I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” With this confession of faith on his lips, Habakkuk’s spirit is revived, like the springing, leaping feet of a deer on the hills.
In another time of great darkness and uncertainty for God’s people, God was listening (as always), and he answered in the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
As we await the coming of your Son, O God, we trust in your strength to revive us, that we may rejoice in you, our Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
