Habakkuk had a complaint against God. If I’d been given a name like Habakkuk, I would complain, too. Actually, in his native tongue, Habakkuk is a beautiful name that means embracer, or one who embraces. It suggests the picture of a father whose son has been injured by some passing bully and he gathers up the hurt child and comforts him while bitterness enters his own heart, crying in perplexity, “Why doesn’t God do something? How can a just God permit such wrong?”
Habakkuk draws back the curtain on his world and sees destruction, violence, fighting and arguing, no justice, the wicked outnumber the righteous, the law has become paralyzed and justice has become perverted (1:2-4) Sound familiar? God is using Israel’s enemies to punish them for their disobedience, and Habakkuk is embracing his countrymen and crying out, “How long, O Lord?”
Habakkuk’s answer from the Lord is to wait. It is an act of waiting very different than what happens after I take a number at the motor vehicle department or the anxious experience of isolation during the pandemic. Habakkuk is encouraged by the words, “If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay” (2:3). In other words, God sees the injustice and will rescue His own people, but on His own time, not Habakkuk’s.
Herein lies the difference between the Jesus Movement’s immediate “The end times are here. Get right with Jesus” salvation message of the late ‘60s and our heartbeat fifty years later desiring to share in active dependence upon and obedience to Him while waiting in His kingdom on earth. We are not the promise of a fairy tale Jesus Movement or the possibility of the perfect storm. We are the transformation generation to connect the salvation message we wrapped our arms around with what we have come to know fifty years later, which is “everything from God and nothing from us.” It is an active waiting that includes the following:
- Acknowledging God’s sovereign control of all things, knowing that nothing we are presently experiencing is outside of his eternal decree and direct oversight.
- Connected to the doctrine of God’s sovereignty is the co-reality of our complete dependence upon Him for all things. It’s natural for us all to want to be individualists. We want the freedom and independence to do whatever we want to do, when, where, and how we want to do it. But the truth is, we are all dependent upon God for even our next heartbeat. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
- Seeking spiritual strength from the Lord. Over the years, we’ve experienced helplessness, especially obvious during the recent pandemic. In God alone, do we find the strength to tread life’s troubled waters. “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” Psalm 31:24
- Even though we may live out that American spirit of busy industriousness, we find in the quiet moment how God glorifies our waiting by listening to Him. “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning.” Psalm 130:5–6
- When listening, we avoid being controlled by fear and worry by actively trusting in Him. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” Psalm 46:1-3
- Expectancy from God to Act on what He said. Christ is our divine rescuer, savior, and deliverer. He saves us from eternal condemnation; and delivers us from the bondage of Satan and our own sin. “I wait for your salvation, O Lord.” Genesis 49:18
- Seeking the Lord through active prayer for the Lord to bring deliverance instead of hitting the panic button. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-
Like Habakkuk, we too can be encouraged by the words, “If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay” (2:3).
Yes, the Lord is returning, but what we do while we wait is what it’s all about this time around.
John Fischer The Catch 
So true about waiting it will surely come even though at times many of us can be impatient and I know I am. My mental health struggles I still have but, doing better and my Husband Greg waited with me for months. Back in March we started to get some tasks done that we had put off one at a time. I was getting some better and I noticed some tasks that needed to be done. We took care of something out of the blue in January with our daughter Kathy’s help. March we started with the most priority task and went from there. Last Saturday finally had bushes trimmed as that was the last as far as exterior around home for now. Good crew took care of that. Greg did some other stuff outside before that in April a little at a time. Today finally Greg is doing his spaghetti sauce and to put back for other dinners later of one kind or another. Great visit with Kathy at our place on Mother’s Day. I still have bad moments but, not like I did. Doctor, counseling and medicine helping.
Now start working with God’s help to get better so I can see my Grandchildren Brianna 6 and Colt 4. God works miracles because I have went from a walking zombie the last few months barely able to even do much on this computer to moving along better one day at a time.
Tony it is heart warming to see how you are progressing with your issues. I sense a lot of confidence in your comments. Praise God!
Habakkuk 2:3 If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come. God’s timing is not our timing has been well established by this devotional. “While we wait we keep busy”, as the meditation above so aptly explains. We keep busy by keeping our spiritual life growing in relationship to God as together we work out the purpose God predestined in eternity to fulfill in us.
First of all, God created time on this earth and he wrote eternity on our hearts. Time was created so we would know through God”s bit by bit revelation what our purpose is here on earth. There is no joy in knowing your future in its entirety, because we would lose motivation to find out because we all ready knew it all. Instead we need to adopt Jesus approach to life, ” My time has come”, or “My time has not yet come”, and trust the Father implicitly where that would take Him. Waiting for God’s time takes faith and is not procrastinating as is so often the accusation.
We all, so self righteously think we are waiting for God. We are not nearly so much in tune with God’s Will as we think we are. God is really waiting for us!!!!!!!! To fulfill His desire that no one should perish. God is waiting for sinners to repent. We get new mercies every morning. We get second chances, we can be forgiven over and over again. Forgiveness does not free us from the consequences of our misdeeds as we often so fraudulently assume, but it does make it right with God if we repent. We led by prompting of the Holy Spirit need to bring the gospel of revival. Until that happens we wait. Let the Spirit lead as at Pentecost.
God is re-establishing Eden here on earth. Just look at all the physical objects and their symbolism and rules and regulations regarding the Tabernacle which was built so God could live with His people. While he waits for us to do our job by the Holy Spirits leading through prayer. Remember Jesus so aptly says without me you can do nothing unless you stay plugged into the vine.
The disciples prayed and worshipped for 40 days after Jesus Ascension. They did not take matters into their own hands. Jesus told them what to do WAIT, but when has that ever deterred some of us to not go out on our own. That same command applies to us WAIT and pray. God’s answer to prayer is either YES, NO, or NOT YET. you guessed it ‘not yet’ means wait.
It is not easy to wait for God. Relax, he has predestined all that is about to happen in all our lives. It will all turn out great in the end. So Trust Him! Enjoy the sunset, and sunrise every day, love your family, pray and strengthen your relationship to him. God made a life for you and does not need your help to make it happen. Just enjoy the world he has made and all that it has to offer. He is waiting for you to do HIS WILL in that regard.
Jacob loved Rachel so much that the seven years he worked to have her as his wife seemed to him like a few days. (Genesis29:20) My challenge to myself has been to love God that much, that I no longer need to consider myself waiting to go to be with Him for ever. God does not need my help, He needs me to trust and obey cause there is no other way to Jesus.
Peter thanks for your entire comment. You have some great examples about waiting. I still need to have more patience at times and I will work on that. Again thank you so much, Take care, God Bless, and have a wonderful day.
Happy Birthday John Fischer!
🙂
Um…
A day early (oops)…
Okay, now…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!!!!
🙂