Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“I hear, and I tremble within; my lips quiver at the sound. Rottenness enters into my bones, and my steps tremble beneath me. I wait quietly for the day of calamity to come upon the people who attack us.”
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, December 3, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Rottenness enters into my bones. What a curious phrase. Is it that they become brittle and can’t support me? Is it from clenching my body in anticipation of my vindication? This vivid, bodily imagery around Habakkuk’s waiting paints clear picture of just how invested he is in God’s action. He has been speaking all this time of the invading Chaldeans and calling upon God to rout them and save God’s people even though they don’t deserve it. And now he waits, not just a little terrified.
We, too, wait for what we don’t know. We, too, are witnesses to injustice and the bearing down of visible and invisible forces on our society that mean us no good. We, too, need God to show up in a big way on our behalf.
Advent is about waiting. Waiting for God to keep God’s promise to all of creation, a promise that is fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. But that waiting can be exhausting, and rottenness can enter into our bones. May we listen to our bodies during this often stressful season and surrender all our hopes and fears to our God who keeps promises.
What am I waiting for in the world today?