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Asking Tough Questions

Read

1I am Habakkuk the prophet. And this is the message that the Lord gave me.

Habakkuk Complains to the Lord

2Our Lord, how long must I beg

for your help

before you listen?

How long before you save us

from all this violence?

3Why do you make me watch

such terrible injustice?

Why do you allow violence,

lawlessness, crime, and cruelty

to spread everywhere?

4Laws cannot be enforced;

justice is always the loser;

criminals crowd out honest people

and twist the laws around.

The Lord Answers Habakkuk

5 Look and be amazed

at what's happening

among the nations!

Even if you were told,

you would never believe

what's taking place now.

6 I am sending the Babylonians.

They are fierce and cruel—

marching across the land,

conquering cities and towns.

7How fearsome and frightening.

Their only laws and rules

are the ones they make up.

8Their cavalry troops are faster

than leopards,

more ferocious than wolves

hunting at sunset,

and swifter than hungry eagles

suddenly swooping down.

9They are eager to destroy,

and they gather captives

like handfuls of sand.

10They make fun of rulers

and laugh at fortresses,

while building dirt mounds

so they can capture cities.

11Then suddenly they disappear

like a gust of wind—

those sinful people who worship

their own strength.

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
See this passage in other languages or Bible versions

Reflect

Who do you go to with your tough questions? In a “Google” search world, there are many options, but we don’t like the uncertainty while we wait for answers.

Habakkuk was God’s spokesman, a prophet who was supposed to understand and interpret events for the nation of Judah in which he lived. But he had his own questions. God forced him to look violence, injustice, crime and lawlessness straight in the face. Would the current crisis never end?

God knew the struggle in his servant’s heart, as he knows ours. The answer he provided, however, was shocking. God had a plan to care for these wrongs but the revealed plan did not seem right.

Things were going to get worse. The world would unravel further and Habakkuk would be pushed to the precipice of unbelief.

Haven’t you been there? If you’ve figured out all the “hows” and “whys” of our world, you must be God! If we’re honest we’ll admit that we are perplexed. Pressure pushes us to our knees. But how long does it take us to surrender to God? How seriously do we want his help? These verses counsel our troubled hearts to book an appointment with the Great Physician. In prayer, and through our study of his word, we work through our issues whether they’re small or super-sized in their scope.

I’ve discovered, as I’m sure you have, that God “moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.” I’m not called to figure everything out, but I am called to trust the One who knows what’s really going on. Feel free to ask the hard questions. Even journaling your questions may be helpful. Then listen hard and prepare to be amazed over what God reveals!

Respond

O God, I confess my ignorance of your mysterious ways. I’m perplexed about my life and how you work all things together for my good. Teach me to trust you while I await your response is my heart’s cry. Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Keith Edwards

Keith was born and grew up in Thornloe, Ontario. He committed his life to Jesus Christ as a child. After sensing God’s calling, he attended Bible school where he met his wife Ruth. They served in pastoral ministry in various churches. He served as Registrar of Toronto Baptist Seminary and since June 2015 as Director of Church Initiatives & Internships at Heritage College/Seminary in Cambridge. Keith and Ruth live in Oshawa, ON and have two married daughters Carolyn (Alex) and Jane (Andrew) and three delightful grandchildren.

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