Just like Habakkuk questioned God’s answer to his prayer, you might be questioning God during these trying times. I doubt that everything is going exactly the way you’d like right now. Let’s walk through some of the questions you might have.
Who are you? “You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish” (Habakkuk 1:12). When God’s ways don’t make sense, you have to choose between walking away from your faith and reminding yourself who He is! When faced with the news that the hated Babylonians would soon invade Judah and nothing could stop them, Habakkuk went back to what theologians call the first principle and called God: Everlasting (You are sovereign), Lord (You are the personal God of Israel), God (You are the strong one, the Creator, the majestic ruler), Holy (You are in a class by Yourself and set apart from sin), Rock (You are the only safe place), Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Jira, The Alpha, The Omega! Habakkuk realized God was about to use Babylon to judge Judah, and he went back to the truth of who God is.
How can You do this? “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (Habakkuk 1:13, NIV). Why do some people have it easy while others suffer? As difficult as it is to accept, this life isn’t about you or what you want. You’re here to serve God, and when you decide to follow Him, you accept the fact that it won’t always be easy.
How long will this last? “Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?” (Habakkuk 1:17, NIV). Sometimes it feels like there’s no mercy or relief from problems or that everyone around you gets what you can’t have. Have questions like this ever popped into your head, or even festered in your heart? How come they got a new house? Why did they get the job? I’m more qualified. Habakkuk didn’t know how long he would have to wait for the answer that he wanted, you don’t know how long this lockdown is going to take to ease up, you don’t know how long it is until we see justice, and you don’t know when people will come back to God’s house. But God is working in miraculous ways, and there are always blessings that come from hardships. Keep believing in Him to see you through this difficult time!