Thursday Devotional - Faithful God when Confusion Continues (5/18/23)

Habakkuk was certainly confused by God’s plan to use the Babylonians to punish Judah! He took all his questions directly to God. He first acknowledged God’s eternal, holy, just and Sovereign character.

Habakkuk 1:12-2:1 LORD, are you not from everlasting?

    My God, my Holy One, you will never die.
You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment;
    you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.
¹³ Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
    you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
    Why are you silent while the wicked
    swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
¹⁴ You have made people like the fish in the sea,
    like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
¹⁵ The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks,
    he catches them in his net,
he gathers them up in his dragnet;
    and so he rejoices and is glad.
¹⁶ Therefore he sacrifices to his net
    and burns incense to his dragnet,
for by his net he lives in luxury
    and enjoys the choicest food.
¹⁷ Is he to keep on emptying his net,
    destroying nations without mercy?

2:1 I will stand at my watch
    and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
    and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

I love how Habakkuk first remembered God’s attributes before he relayed his additional questions. Then, he resolved to expectantly wait for God’s second response! I want to do the same with some issues going on in my life.

It’s always comforting to focus on God’s attributes first. It helps me have a better perspective. We have been dealing with several issues (for years) with one of our children. As much as we pray for help and try different approaches, things don’t seem to improve. In fact, it seems some issues have gotten worse and not better! I know it isn’t a surprise to God and He has a plan. I want to be like Habakkuk and station myself above the chaos (“station myself on the ramparts”) to be able to clearly hear God’s answer and direction for next steps.

How about you? What situation is frustrating or confusing to you right now? Will you take time to first praise God for who He is and list out His attributes? Then, take your honest questions to him and position yourself in a place to clearly hear His response.

Alice