Habakkuk was a man with questions. Disturbed by the seeming indifference to the sinfulness of God's own people, Habakkuk asked God, “Why don’t You do something?”
I am a woman with questions. Confused as to why, if God sees all this wickedness, He doesn’t intervene. I am right there with Habakkuk, asking God, “Why don’t You do something?”
It breaks my heart to see the violence that surrounds us every day. It grieves me to hear of all the misery and evil deeds. Daily, I am surrounded with people who love to argue and fight. Justice is being thrown out the window and everyone only seems to do what benefits them.
And so, just like Habakkuk, I’d have to agree that the wicked far outnumber the righteous. I also call out to God in a plea. Why would He let His children live in circumstances like these? Why not reach in and fix it all? With frustration, I join Habakkuk in asking if we are then just fish to be caught and killed? Sea creatures with no leader? Will we, as children of God, forever have to see how the wicked laugh and mock us? Mock His Name? Will they succeed in all of their heartless invasion? Will they continue to rob us of our joy?
But, after all this, I stood my ground and patiently waited on the Lord to answer my complaints (Habakkuk 2:1).
Although I hoped for rescue and relief (just like Habakkuk), God instead came and answered with a promise of coming judgment. God assured me that His plans will come to pass once more, even if it seems slow. He encouraged me to have an eternal perspective.
Habakkuk knew this world was not his eternal home. He trusted the steadfast love and faithfulness of his Saviour even when he didn’t understand God’s plan. Although God’s plan was not clear to Habakkuk, he had learned to trust God. He lived by faith, and with that kind of faith came rejoicing.
We can’t base our joy on the circumstances that surround our lives. When we find our joy in Christ, we are filled with a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) – this is literally a peace that you cannot even begin to imagine, a peace you’ve never felt before. This is the kind of peace that enables us to be joyful even in the direst of circumstances. When we are filled with a joy that is not a result of the circumstances that make up our lives (John 15:11), we will be filled with a joy that makes us complete in Jesus Christ.
By the end of this book, Habakkuk’s faith has grown, although his circumstances haven’t changed. Habakkuk closed the book by declaring that the Lord is his source of joy, even if he loses everything else.
And so, as I walk out of my Habakkuk season into a new one, I want to paraphrase Habakkuk’s words (Habakkuk 3:17-18):
Even when my account is empty; even when there is no steadfast income on the horizon; even when people keep on condemning me; even when the ones I thought wanted the best for me, turns out to be the ones that wish me nothing but hurt; even when loneliness is my closest companion; even when my heart’s desires remain unsatisfied; even when heartbreak seems endless; even when darkness tries to suffocate me; even when all that lies before me are uphill battles; and even if I have to wait longer than I would like to for God to answer my prayers, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”
I challenge you today to write your own paraphrase of Habakkuk 3:17-18 and allow the Holy Spirit to remind you of your paraphrasing daily.