“O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? – Habakkuk 1:2 (NKJV)
How often do we see injustice being carried out by the rich and powerful, but it seems no one can stop them? How often do we speak up against injustice even if we do not believe we can stop it? The truth is we seldom do anything. We’re always waiting for someone else to do it.
We live in a world where people lie, scheme, and defraud one another, where people plot evil against the innocent and are bold enough to carry out their threats, and we keep silent. God’s messengers, the prophets, were unafraid and spoke out against the actions of kings and rulers of the land when they saw injustice. For this cause, many of them were driven to face hardships in exile and were subject to punishments such as beatings, other forms of torture, and sometimes death.
Often, God’s messengers, the prophets, questioned why God would allow wicked men to live and appear to thrive. But call to mind Asaph, the servant of the Lord who said God, “…You set them in slippery places…Oh, how they are brought into desolation, as in a moment!” (Psalm 73:18-19 – NKJV). In a moment, God can change any situation.
Habakkuk was one bold messenger of the Lord who questioned why evil was allowed to go on in Israel for so long, why the law had become so paralysed, why justice was perverted even in the courts, and why the wicked outnumbered the righteous. God responded to Habakkuk in a very unusual way, a way that brought more questions. But God is God. He weighs the hearts of men and knows our innermost thoughts. He will do what He sees as just. He often used Israel’s enemies to punish them for their rejection of His laws. These punishments were extreme. We should not want to experience that kind of punishment. Speak out! Seek God’s face!
When we pray earnestly, God answers – but never the way we expect. The answer we might not even recognise at first, but in time, we will realise that it did come and was just the answer we needed. God would use whoever or whatever He pleases to help His children. Let us not, therefore, grow weary in serving Him even when our trials seem never-ending, for in due time, we will reap the rewards.
Prayer
Father, as Your children, we love You and want to do what is right always. Help us never doubt that You have our best interests at heart and would turn a city upside down to rescue us when we are in trouble. Teach us to be patient and to wait upon You as You work things out for us. We give You the glory and the praise that is due to Your Name only. Amen.
Read: Psalm 27:14; Lamentations 3:25-26
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 74:18-23; Acts 12:20-25; Acts 13:1-12; 2 Kings 3:16-28; 2 Kings 4; 2 Kings 5
