Michael felt as if his prayers were simply bouncing off the ceiling. He couldn’t understand God’s silence. Day after day he pleaded with Him to deal with the injustice in his workplace. But evil persisted, and God seemed absent.
Can you identify with Michael? Habakkuk could. He lived during the final dark days of Judah—just before the captivity of her people. There was unrestrained wickedness and violence throughout the land—and he couldn’t harmonize the prevalence of evil with the concept of God being good, just, and sovereign. The prophet cried out, “How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But You do not listen!” (Habakkuk 1:2).
Habakkuk was disturbed with God’s seeming indifference. “How long?” suggests to us that Habakkuk had brought his petitions to God over a long period of time. But God seemed to be ignoring him.
When violence and corruption abound and evil appears to rule, we may also wonder whether God really cares or if He is really in control. Habakkuk’s honest dialogue with God helps us understand that we can come to God in prayer with our difficult questions.
Habakkuk had been doubting. But he turned to God in the midst of his confusion and sought God’s wisdom and counsel. This is what God calls each of us to do when we’re confused or when we’re wrestling with tough questions. In fact, honest questions reflect a better relationship with God than superficial, outward, religious behavior.
The result of Habakkuk’s search is astounding. The prophet we meet at the end of the book is not the same one we find at the beginning. He starts with questions, and he ends with praise (Habakkuk 3:17-19). His struggle produced spiritual growth. So will your struggles when you seek God’s face in complete honesty and truth.
More:
As for me, I will sing about Your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about Your unfailing love. For You have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress (Psalm 59:16).
Next:
What are some doubts you need to take to God? What happens when we deny the struggles we’re facing and don’t bring them to Him?
Aganos on December 28, 2010 at 3:51 am
I agree with you Poh,sometimes God just seems to disappear. I experienced it for 3 solid yrs. I was in a desert,an experience i’d never wish to go thro again,yet if its what i mst go through to bring me closer to God,may His will be done.I struggled to pray,read the word,fellowship all in vain. Debts were high,family problems came one after another and friends disappeared. When sin took root,the devil thought he’d conquered bt the lord snatched me,removed me from the myre clay n made my feet stand on a firm ground! Our God is very faithful,he promises never to leave us,never to forget us Isaiah 54. If you r going thro such tough times,dont lose hope and dont listen to the devil. He is a lier,always looking for someone to devour. Be still,u’ll know our God is Jehova Ps46:10
mcook60 on December 28, 2010 at 4:09 am
Sounds like my story, still pressing to the other side of this….
zero_g on December 28, 2010 at 7:03 am
Reminds me of the story of the man stuck on a roof top during a flood. A boat pulled up and asked the man if he needed help. The man said “God will save me” and waved the boat on. The waters got higher and another boat came by. He waved the boat on saying that God will save him. Finally a helicopter came, and in the wind he yelled that God would save him. The man died and when he got to heaven, he asked “God, why he didn’t you save me.” God replied, “I tried, I sent you 2 boats and a helicopter.”
Two lessons can be learned from this: God works through other people, and you have to have the right perspective to see it. Praying to God and believing that he is there puts you in the right location, mentally, to see what God has to offer you in your current situation. It is not always what you expect.
lindagma on December 28, 2010 at 7:58 am
I’ve spent many many hours telling God how I really feel…being honest with Him. What a blessing that we have a God who allows us that privilege. Many times I don’t see his hand until years later and realize that he did answer my prayer. It’s good to look over your shoulder as a reminder that He can do all things and His way is not always our way.
Just recently, I prayed that my brother would not have to spend Christmas alone. His wife died 15 yrs ago and he has a terminal lung disease, living in a city without any family and unable to travel in his condition. He had a serious attack and ended up in the hospital. When we talked to him he was in good spirits…they had 3 choir groups come sing to them, had two Santas and several gifts. Praise God for answered prayer.
unclegene on December 28, 2010 at 9:29 am
I am seeing the world today in worse shape than in Habakkuk’s time and I think that I am feeing worse than he did in verses 2-4. I sure needed this lesson. Thanks so much Poh Fang Chia.
daisymarygoldr on December 28, 2010 at 1:33 pm
We do question to get an answer but we must also make sure to wait and “listen” for God’s answer (Hab 2:1). My questions are usually like why did God allow this pain and problem in my life? Why did He lead me to a place and bring certain people into my life? How does He want me to respond to unfair situations when subjected to injustice, hatred and ridicule? What good things does He want me to learn from the evil that I am experiencing?
Those tough questions force me to examine my own life and transform my thinking to match with God’s thinking. For a child of God, it is okay to ask Him why but the danger is when we stubbornly get stuck with the why and do not move on. Jesus questioned “Why?” but moved on to die for us on the cross. Our doubts and struggles should not hinder us from doing His will.
Sometimes God deliberately remains silent so we may turn our eyes on Him. When Habakkuk turned his eyes on God, his doubt turned into praise because God Himself became his strength and joy. By faith, Habakkuk accepted the answer to his question—the promised deliverance and lasting rest for him and his people someday in the future. And that enabled him to enjoy peace and rest for now in the present.
And so, my honest questions are to seek God and His truth not to find loopholes in His eternal law. In my prayers the honest and raw cries rending from my weak and vulnerable heart is poured out with humility and not in defiant arrogance demanding for a solution.
If we question God’s sovereignty, authority and integrity like the serpent and Eve did in Eden, then we’ll surely get into trouble. And, if we wrestle with God in our questions it will cripple us spiritually and result in depression.
When feeling ignored by God, our questions should drive us back to Bible and prayer to seek Him out. Without the knowledge of His Person all our problems will forever remain a dark mystery to us. The answers to all our questions lies in knowing God—His nature, character, ways, and thoughts. That He is always faithful and true to His word, and that His promises never fail.
ISLANDLIFE12 on December 28, 2010 at 5:48 pm
What a real yet tough devotional to read! Over the past few days I have been seeking the counsel of trusted friends, whose walk is fairly fortified and consistent in Christ. I have come up against this period in my journey where the Lord speaks of certain things that He desires but when I bring up a certain matter, I get silence. I have jokingly said with my friends, that if I ask the Lord, if I can have life abundantly, He responds quickly and fervently, “Yes daughter, you can have that now and after as long as You abide in me and I in you. If I ask the Lord for guidance, I can be assured He will answer firmly and quickly, “My word is a light unto thy path and a lamp unto thy feet dear daughter.” If I ask Him about that ‘one’ matter, I get—–the crickets chirping. I understand silence across the board, where there is total silence and the Lord desires that we ”press in” and wait on Him, but this is new.. where there is communication in most areas.. and where that one matter is concerned … its like getting molasses to run off of a bark of a tree in the dead of winter in antarctica. I know God has not changed, but I know in some ways I have changed about the response I have not gotten concerning this matter.
In other areas of my life if I don’t have ”enough’ of whatever, I am reminded that Jesus is ‘more than enough’.. even if I have nothing.. I still have Jesus.. and that is more than most has ever had. It was David who said I was young and now I am old and I have never seen the righteous forsaken or the poor begging bread. As much as my emotions may rage inside me about ‘the answer I haven’t gotten,’ I am still reminded that even when I can’t hear or see the answer the Lord is faithful and has remained so even when I have failed him. Its in those times when He has been ‘more than enough’ that I have been surprised and He has allowed me to find joy where I was and has occassionally met my need. It is with mixed emotions I write this post, because I recently had an ‘encounter’ right before Christmas that was a reminder that He always supplies the needs of His children.. and He does give them the desires of their hearts.. but.. the other part of that is that we get the desires of ours when we submit our heart to Him and wait … even in His silence. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thy own understanding and in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy path. Right now that is not my favorite verse, to be quite honest, I think that is the generic answer I keep getting from the Lord.. to a specific question with detail I keep asking Him (LOL). I know in my heart He knows best and maybe I am not ready and it is not time.. and it may not ever be time for that answer to be revealed. In times gone by, I would get extremely upset, disappointed and that would hinder me from being able to commune with the Lord. Who am I kidding.. occassionally it still does happen but not as much. I am reminded that I have some say in this… and I can be transformed by renewing my mind.. remembering His goodness and faithfulness to me and be not conformed to the leading of my emotions. The Lord has never disappointed… even if that means changing my heart so I could be more like Him. I haven’t got it down yet… not even close.. but I am thankful the Lord is helping me move a little closer.