A Complaint to the Lord

​ O LORD, how long shall I cry,
​​And You will not hear?
​​Even cry out to You, “Violence!”
​​And You will not save.

​​ Why do You show me iniquity,
​​And cause me to see trouble?
​​For plundering and violence are before me;
​​There is strife, and contention arises.

​​Therefore the law is powerless,
​​And justice never goes forth.
​​For the wicked surround the righteous;
​​Therefore perverse judgment proceeds. Habakkuk 1:2-4

The prophet Habakkuk is often overlooked both due to the rather brief nature of his book and because his name is a bit problematic to spell. I don't know that those are the reasons, but I recall very few sermons from Habakkuk in my days. Yet, there is an important lesson in Habakkuk, probably more than one, but the message begins with a complaint to the Lord. Is this a grumble, an accusation? Certainly it might appear to be so, and the Lord immediately zaps the offending little prophet with a lightning bolt, right? Nope, actually the Lord tells Habakkuk what is good for us too "Watch and see!"

The Lord gives Habakkuk reassurance and promise - that he will be utterly astounded and that the work of the Lord will happen within his days. Not some distant unguessable future and not some little work that he might miss, no, Habakkuk will witness the mighty hand of the Lord in his lifetime.

We bear witness to a similar time when the law seems powerless or even downright goofy, and violence walks the land unchecked. Yet, we too may want to watch and see the mighty hand of the Lord. We too witness the astounding work of the Lord in our lifetimes as salvation comes to all those who will believe.

Have a wonderful Wednesday in Christ!
Bucky