In a popular book released several years ago the author advocated that relying on small, simple tasks helps us get through worry, anxiety, and stress.[1] While I think having a hobby can help ease our uneasiness, there are many things in life that knitting won’t help us endure. The loss of a spouse, financial problems, rebellious children, or an unplanned job change, all require more than a hobby that distracts us. Instead, those life events require faith in God. That’s a lesson we learn from reading the book of Habakkuk.
The last verse of the book of Habakkuk reads, “The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments” (Hab 3:19).[2]
Notice the strong contrast to how this book started. We started with Habakkuk asking, “God, why don’t you do something?” (Hab 1:1–4) and “God, why would you do that?” (Hab 1:12—2:1). Now Habakkuk essentially says, “God, when you do what you said you will do, I exult you, rejoice in you, and look to you for strength.”
Here in verse nineteen we see the source of Habakkuk’s strength, Hekd“The Lord God is my strength.”God had told Habakkuk about his divine wrath he planned to unleash, but God also provided Habakkuk assurance of divine favor and hope. Pastor Tony Evans writes, “When you know God’s character (who he is) and his works (what he has done), you’ll know that you can trust him—even in the dark.”[3] Habakkuk’s security and hope were based on what he knows about God.
Here in verse nineteen we see the symbol of Habakkuk’s strength,“And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet and makes me walk on my high places.” Another way to translate “feet like hinds feet” would be “feet of a goat.” The Nubian ibex goat is the image he’s using here. They are light tan with long thin horns that extend up, back, and down. They live in rough, dry, mountainous terrain and eat grasses and leaves. Their feet are flexible and spread under a load. They stay close to steep cliffs where they can escape their predators. Learning to navigate cliffs are essential to their survival.[4]
Like a sure-footed goat on the highest of heights, God has equipped Habakkuk for whatever lies ahead. Just as a sure-footed Nubian ibex goat can scale up a mountain to escape danger and continue to live, Habakkuk’s faith in God will place him above his circumstances and give him the ability to withstand the troubles that loom below. A Nubian ibex goat can travel through difficult rocky steep terrain without stumbling or suffering injury, likewise because of Habakkuk’s trust in the Lord Habakkuk will survive the troubles and struggles in Judah as Babylon invades.[5]
The lesson we learn from Habakkuk 3:19 is that we rely on God to get us through difficult circumstances. Christians are not exempt from difficulties and troubles. Being a Christian does not prevent heartache, disappointment, and sadness.
If we follow the imagery of the Nubian ibex goat, when we encounter difficult paths or predators we turn to God who can help us walk without stumbling. Just as a Nubian ibex goat can move swiftly through steep rocky terrain, we too can make it through difficult circumstances. Not only will we get through the trials, but we will rise above them as a symbol of victor. Like the Nubian ibex goat that rises above problems, we get a new perspective on our problems when we have faith in God. We eventually realize, “God, that’s why you closed that door,” or “God, that’s why you made me walk through those trials.”
When nothing makes sense and when everything falls apart, that’s when we trust God and look to God to get us through it all. As pastor Mark Hitchcock has said, “The bigger God is to us, the smaller our troubles will seem. And the smaller God is, the larger our troubles will seem.”[6] At some point we need to take our eyes off our difficulties and look to God because God is the only one that can help us get through tough experiences.
With God we can endure difficulties and trials because he sustains us. He’ll walk with us through our troubles, help us endure temptation, make a way for us to live with a disability, and show us how to endure poor times. He did that for Habakkuk, and I know he will do that for you and me too.
[1] Michelle Obama, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (New York: Penguin Random House, 2022), 36–38, 44, 47.
[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.
[3] Tony Evans, Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2019), 830.
[4] “Nubian ibex,” Wikipedia, accessed August 24, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubian_ibex.
[5] Here in verse nineteen we also see thesinging of strength, “For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.”This is not just a cerebral joy in a head, but an emotional joy aloud. The intent was for this to be something that the community sang together.
[6] Sermon titled, “How Big Is Your God?” (Hab 3:1-19) Aug 28, 2016. https://faithbibleok.subspla.sh/rnz6q2q Accessed May 24, 2023