“How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” Habakkuk 1:2-4
Have you ever felt as though God wasn’t listening to you? You pray and pray about something that has been on your heart, but nothing changes, nothing happens. Have you ever thought, “Are you even listening Lord?”
The profit Habakkuk went through such a time. He once wrote, “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth perverted.” (Hab. 1:2-4)
It sure sounds like Habakkuk is crying out, “Are you even listening Lord?”
All of this took place around 600 years before Christ was born. Babylon was a world power, and they were threatening the people of Judah. It truly was a time of violence, oppression, injustice, and strife. Families were torn apart. People were suing each other for ridiculous reasons. God’s law was being ignored by the nation, and immorality flooded the land. The few righteous people that remained were being oppressed by the vast majority who had turned their back on the Lord. And through it all it seemed that the Lord did nothing.
Does any of this sound familiar? Yep, there is nothing new under the sun. What happened back then is happening today. And so the righteous still cry out, “How long, O Lord!? How long does this have to continue?” And just like with Habakkuk, there still seems to be no answer.
So then, how do we deal with this? Well, how about taking our lead from Habakkuk. You see, he would not permit his perplexity to turn him away from the Lord. Instead, look at what he writes. “I will take my stand at my watchpoint and station myself on the tower and look out to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.” (Hab 2:1)
Habakkuk wasn’t insisting on an immediate answer. Instead, he was simply going to stand firm in his faith. He would continue to trust only in the Lord and wait for His answer. In Hebrew, the word “wait” or “wait for” means, “to look for” or “to hope for”. It means waiting with confidence, knowing that it will happen, there is no doubt about it. Waiting for the Lord like this will not end with disappointment. It may take a long while, but God’s promises will come to pass, as it did with Habakkuk writes, “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Behold his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall life by his faith.” (Hab 2:3-4)
What we need to take hold of is that the Lord has indeed heard our cries and has answered in the person of Christ Jesus. In Christ all of God’s promises are fulfilled. Forgiveness, peace with God, a close relationship with the Almighty God, a life that has no end, and our home in heaven; all of this is ours right now through Jesus saving work. So if we actually live out this faith that we have in our Lord Jesus, no matter what we are going through right now, we can wait for the Lord with confidence, with hope, and even with joy.
The mission of Trinity HOPE is, in part, to bring such hope and joy to those who seemingly have so little, that they may wait with confidence, living each day with their faith renewed in the Lord, knowing that He is indeed listening. May we all wait with that same confidence.
Now, may God go before you to guide you...may His hands be beneath you to support you, around you to protect you and above you to bless you. And may the blessings of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you today and every moment along your journey until you reach Paradise. Amen.
May God be with you,
Keith Enko