Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net
I love how God’s perfect timing works. Many of you know that I’m doing Shannon Mullins’ Living Power Online Bible Study, a through-the-Bible-in-a-year video study, again this year. I was so blown away during last year’s study and my eyes were opened to so much that I’d never seen before, that I decided to do it again this year.
However, even though God apparently had it in His great plan for me to do it again, He obviously didn’t plan for me to do it in the correct timing. Because–yet again–He is revealing stuff from Shannon’s study at just the right time I when I need–even though I’m two months behind!
Today (October 9 as I write this) I did the August 2 study on Habakkuk, where the prophet is asking God how He can allow such hardship to come upon Israel, how He could allow such an evil outside nation to torment His people. Violence, chaos, and moral and economic decline were rampant, and yet it appeared to Habakkuk that God didn’t care.
The ultimate attack and exile by Babylon had been foretold, but not yet happened, and Habakkuk couldn’t understand how God would allow such an evil nation to win over His very own people. Why wasn’t He listening to their prayers?
Why isn’t He listening to ours today?
For us, at this time of constant fear of attack on all sides, but especially from the Middle East, while the potential for a full worldwide economic crash appears eminent, it’s easy for us to ask God why He isn’t answering our prayers. After all, we who know Him are His people, grafted into His family by the blood of Jesus. Our country was founded on His word and His precepts, and yet, the world gets worse every day…and often it appears that the evil ones are winning.
It’s interesting that after Habakkuk’s first complaint, God completely agrees with him, admitting that the Babylonians will come with all evil intent to destroy Israel. But He says:
“Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5
When Habakkuk continues to cry out and ask why, God says:
“Look at the proud!
They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.
But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”
Habakkuk 2:4
“The righteous will live by their faithfulness to God…”
God later ends that section promising that He will sit on His throne, reign over all, and all the world will eventually be silent before Him. The Millennial reign.
Wow.
Our hope isn’t in government or absence of war or financial security. Our hope, our trust, is the knowledge and confidence of Him alone.
Habakkuk ends his response and his book with one of my favorite passages:
“Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.”
Habakkuk 3:17-19
Regardless what is going on in the world today, regardless of wars, conflict, financial ruin, political upheaval, regardless of what we think may be going on and whose fault it is, God is in control. He is truly in control.
And He’s going to do something the world is not going to believe. It may be a hard road until we get there, but our God is in control and will bring about His perfect will for His creation. In the meantime, we must be light in this dark, dark world, and stand confident in who we are and Who He is.
After all, He is the King and we are his children.
I pray God’s blessing on the work of your hands and your hearts,
Vonda
