The prophet Habakkuk is not considered to be one of the major prophets. He is known primarily for one line, which was read for us in the Old Testament lesson. "The righteous shall live by faith." That is the source of Paul's famous phrase found in his Letter to the Romans particularly, "The just shall live by faith." It became a battle cry for the Reformation, and it came originally from Habakkuk.

But in this same passage is a wonderful phrase that I thought was appropriate for the Fourth of July: "For still the vision awaits its time." The prophet sees himself standing on a wall, the common image the prophets used for themselves, as watchmen on the wall. He says, "I will take my stand to watch, and station myself on the tower, and look forth to see what he will say to me, and what I will…