Read Habakkuk 1:1-4
Do you ever feel like God isn’t listening to you? It seems the prophet Habakkuk was experiencing that as we read his lament. I couldn’t help but think as I read Habakkuk’s words that I could be saying the same thing about what I see taking place in our time. Isn’t it something how the Bible is as relevant today as it ever was.
We don’t know much about the prophet Habakkuk, but we’ll see in his short book how concerned he was for his community. We’ll see how he handles his doubts and struggles, always remembering the sovereignty of God.
Sometimes we don’t understand what God allows in our world, and Habakkuk isn’t afraid to let God know how he feels. We can be honest with God, too. We’ll see, in the book of Habakkuk, how God responds to Habakkuk’s questions.
Our first reading shows us a little about Habakkuk simply by what things trouble him. He is faithful. He knows right from wrong according to God’s law. He doesn’t understand why God is allowing these bad things to happen. Habakkuk most likely lived in Judah and wrote sometime between the fall of Nineveh and the Babylonian invasion of Judah.
I think we can all identify with Habakkuk in this moment. How many times have we cried out to God asking, “Why?” We see violence out of control in the societies of our world. There is war, corruption, and a total disregard for human life. How did we get to where we are today? It seems we’re not any better than the world Habakkuk was looking at.
Have you, like Habakkuk, grown weary of living in a world full of wickedness, struggling to be in a place where you don’t fit? Don’t feel bad. This condition has afflicted people for centuries. Why is that? The world is caught up in sin rather than being robed in the righteousness of God. The faithful are outnumbered. I can relate to feeling outnumbered. I think that’s why I’m always so delighted to meet another believer!
We can protect ourselves by aligning with God and his purposes. When we are in communion with God, we experience the joyful assurance of our destiny. The world can be crumbling around us, but we are covered in the hope that Jesus’ death and resurrection affords. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel for us believers.
Take some time today to “get real” with God and let him know how you are feeling about the state of the world.
Let’s pray. Lord, I am so grateful that I can come to you and let you know what is on my heart. I am troubled by what I see and how it is affecting so much of the population. It’s like I’m getting a taste of what the prophets of old encountered when darkness and evil blinded so many people from the truth. It’s painful to watch people I care about be devoured by their sinfulness. I look forward to the day when your righteousness will reign supreme. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
