Waiting on God
Like many good men before him and after him, the 7th-century prophet Habakkuk was taught in a very dramatic way that God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts and that His ways are not man’s ways (Isa 55:8). A prophet in Judah on the eve of the Babylonian captivity, this sensitive man opens his oracle with a complaint to God that the violence, iniquity, and lawlessness of his own people have seemingly gone unnoticed by the Lord (1:1-4). Evidently, Habakkuk has been calling upon God for some time (1:2), but when the long-awaited reply is received, it causes the prophet to recoil in horror. Yes, God is at work amongst the nations (1:5), and He is “raising up the Chaldeans, that fierce and impetuous people” to discipline His own nation (1:6).
The man of God is dismayed at this message. After all, Babylon has raped and pillaged the peoples of the earth! Surely the Lord will not use the violent, arrogant Chaldeans against the people of Judah, who are “more righteous than they” (1:13).
Perplexed and distraught, Habakkuk nevertheless prepares to meet this challenge to his faith. He begins by recalling that his God is a Holy God who simply cannot approve evil (1:12, 13). He may not understand how a Holy God can make use of the vicious Babylonians, but just listen to how he deals with the problem:
I will stand on my guard post, And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me and how I may reply when I am reproved (2:1)
What a great attitude the man had! He’s saying, “Lord, I know there is an answer, but I just don’t see it now. Since everything You do is perfectly righteous and good, the failure lies with me. Lord, I’m going to wait on You for correction and enlightenment. Please help me to understand.” That’s what faith looks like in times of crisis. As we meditate daily on His truth in a confusing world, let’s make this our constant prayer: Lord increase our faith (Lk 17:5)
Rex
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