Wrestling, Waiting, Watching, Walking, Worshiping

Devotions for Growing Christians

Wrestling, Waiting, Watching, Walking, Worshiping

Habakkuk 2:4b - The just shall live by faith.

Read Habakkuk 2:14.

Habakkuk sounds like a name for chronic arthritis - but it really is a book in the Bible! Look it up and read the whole book - it's only three chapters! At least read Habakkuk 1 before you read this devotion, and you'll gain a much greater appreciation for what's going on in the few verses from chapter 2 that we quoted above.

Wrestling

Habakkuk was a prophet to Judah (southern Israel with its capital at Jerusalem) during the 7th century BC. Things were really bad in his day. Corruption abounded. Laws were either ignored, or they were twisted and manipulated in favor of the elite few. The poor were oppressed. There was violence on the streets, and unrest of every sort. Moral values were up for grabs. Only a small minority still held on to faith in God. A breakdown of society was taking place before Habakkuk's very eyes (1:14). No wonder his faithful, sensitive heart cried out, "How long, O Lord, will I call for help?" (1:2). How could God allow such sin to go unjudged?

Christians today can certainly identify with Habakkuk. What better description of contemporary conditions on our campuses, in our communities, or in our country can we get than in Habakkuk 1:14? The soul of the faithful and sensitive Christian questions along with Habakkuk, "Why do You make me see iniquity and cause me to look upon wickedness?" (1:3).

God answered Habakkuk's question, but the answer was a real mind-blower for the prophet. Essentially, the Lord’s answer was, "You haven't seen anything yet!" (1:5-11). Habakkuk was told that the wicked, violent and dreaded Chaldeans (the rising Babylonian empire) would overrun Judah. God would actually raise up a pagan nation to judge the sin which was rampant in the land. Again the parallel is too close to avoid mention in passing. Is God permitting the rise of godless secularism for the express purpose of judging a country that is rapidly departing from the faith that once characterized it?

Habakkuk got the message, but he couldn’t understand.. He realized that God had chosen this method of discipline when he responded, "You, O Lord, have appointed them (Chaldeans) to judge; and You, O rock, have established them to correct" (1:12). But what Habakkuk couldn't understand! "Why do You look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?" (1:13). How can a holy God permit an even more wicked nation than Judah to flourish and take over? Yes, Judah deserves to be punished, but so do the Chaldeans! They're much worse than we are. Sound familiar?

Habakkuk was not the first to wrestle with questions like this. A man named Asaph struggled with this in Psalm 73. Nor was Habakkuk the last believer to wrestle with the question of evil. Every growing Christian must grapple at some point with this issue.

Waiting

As he reflected upon his unanswered question, the position that Habakkuk took is beautiful - and that's what chapter 2:1-4 is all about. Habakkuk decided that he would simply wait patiently and watch intently for the Lord's answer. He didn't get up tight and frustrated. He didn’t demand answers from God. He didn't give up, saying "God doesn't care about my problems!” No. He waited, and he watched. And we should do the same with all our "Why's?"

Watching

The guard post or watchtower was a tall structure from which a watcher could see in every direction to better discern what was happening, and to guard his own position. This pictures the attitude that God wants us to take as we wait and watch for answers to situations we don't understand. Don't stay down where you can't see the big picture. Go up into the tower, to catch God's view of what's happening! It was when Asaph went into the sanctuary that he perceived the answer from the Lord (Psalm 73:1617).

It is possible to turn unanswered questions over to the Lord, and wait and watch for His answer. And while we're waiting, let's not give up an inch of ground of our faith in God just because we have some unanswered questions. A watchtower is also a guard post. Guard the truth that God has given you.

God answered Habakkuk, just as He always answers the waiting and watching Christian. The answer wasn’t a "Did He really answer me?” or “Was it only my imagination?" type of answer. God doesn't answer with cryptograms! God’s answer was so clear that it could be written down and passed on to others. In fact, God wanted the answer to be broadcast without any waste of time (2:2).

Here’s the answer that God gave about the perplexing problem of evil. Evil does exist. It is not imaginary. But it will exist for a limited time only - and that limited time is appointed and controlled by God. History is not haphazard. It is moving towards a goal, and there’s no way that God's purpose can be threatened or thwarted. God’s purpose will certainly come to pass right on His (not our) schedule (2:3). When verse 3 is quoted in Hebrews 10:37 the "it" becomes "He." The goal of history is centered in a Person - the Lord Jesus Christ! All evil will be overcome, and Christ will be Lord of all.

Walking

What is the Christian to do in the meantime? He is to walk by faith (2:4)! We may not understand how a holy God can tolerate the existence of evil, and why the wrong person always seems to get the best deal, but we continue to test God. “The righteous person shall live by his faith” - and what better deal is there than to be declared righteous by God?

A universal principle is contained in the five woes that are pronounced upon the Chaldeans (2:519). God assures us that everything evil is under the judgment of God. The seed of self-destruction is in the soul of the person who is not right with God (2:4). Final judgment is sure to come, but in the meantime the Christian is trust God. We are to walk by our faith.

Worshiping

In chapter 3, Habakkuk worshiped the Lord. This should be the outcome of all our wrestlings with God, but too often we become bitter and angry because we don't like to wait and watch and walk. Habakkuk's worship really began with submission: "The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him" (2:20).

- Habakkuk learned to silently submit to God's divine rule and judgment. This is worship.

- Habakkuk realized that his only approach to God was a plea for mercy (3:2). This is worship.

- Habakkuk was awed by the glory of God (3:3-4). This is worship.

- Habakkuk reflected on the great acts of God in history (3:5-15). This is worship.

- Habakkuk trembled because he had gone through a deep spiritual experience, and he had come to know the reality of a living God who was coming in judgment (3:16). This is worship.

- Habakkuk rejoiced because he knew that in spite of the hard times and difficulties that are a result of evil, the Lord was still his strength and salvation (3:17-19). This is worship.

"Yet I will exult in the Lord" (3:18). This kind of worship comes only from the heart of one who has wrestled, waited, watched and walked.

- Dave Reid