We’re still working our way through the Book of Habakkuk. It’s Habakkuk 2:1-4 that really speaks to me! In verse 4 you can see that, “…the righteous person will live by his faithfulness.” This message is so important that it’s repeated in Galatian 3:11 and Romans 1:17. Have you ever been burdened with the idea that you have to mobilize, organize, and agonize over your spirituality? This isn’t how God wants you to live. In fact, Paul says you’re to move from faith to faith (Romans 1:17). There’s power in faith!
It can be difficult when you feel God is taking too long to do something. I imagine more and more people are struggling with this because of the chaotic state of the world. In Habakkuk 2, God pronounces judgment on the wicked Babylonians who were greedy, arrogant, blood thirsty, ruthless, killed without remorse, and gave themselves over to every sort of evil. Wouldn’t you want God to take care of the problem with the Babylonians pretty quickly? I sure would! But while God did promise to one day destroy them, it was almost 70 years before it happened, allowing the Babylonians to plunder many nations.
Are you tempted to fall away from God when, in your opinion, He’s taking too long to do something? Faith is the answer to your frustrations. What do you do when evildoers come to power? You live by faith. What do you do when your prayers go unanswered? You live by faith.What do you do when your dreams turn to ashes? You live by faith.
If you’re not convinced, think about the ripple effect Habakkuk’s words have had. More than 600 years after Habakkuk’s writings, the Holy Spirit moved Paul to quote the same words to prove that the Gospel had been predicted in the Old Testament. Then 1500 years after that, Martin Luther found rest for his soul when he understood the true meaning of the just living by faith. That’s how powerful the words of the prophet Habakkuk are, words that were inspired by the Holy Spirit. If you’re genuinely struggling to accept God’s timing, practice your faith by first practicing patience, and remember to find the good that comes from life’s trials.