Waiting can be one of the hardest seasons in our faith journey, especially when the wicked seem to prosper, and our prayers to address them seem unanswered.
Written by
In The Potter's Hands
3 min read
Contents
Habbakuk Brings His Doubt Before God and Resolves to Wait
Chapter 2 begins with Habakkuk depicting himself as a watchman who awaits God’s reply on the city walls (Hab 2:1). His first response to his limited understanding of God’s plan was not to take matters into his own hands, as many do, believing their strength is sufficient. Instead, he chose to trust and wait on God. God responds by instructing Habakkuk to write the vision (Hab 2:2), which will serve as a message of hope for all (Hab 2:14). He also tells Habakkuk that this vision will assuredly come at its appointed time and will not delay (Hab 2:3).
We, too, have witnessed uncertainty and injustice in our lives, which leave us crying out to God in prayer. We plead for Him to act, yet see our situation unchanging. In these moments, we may find ourselves wondering just like Habakkuk did (Hab 1:2, 13): Why would a God who is Holy (Hab 1:12) allow evil to go unpunished?
In moments when God’s plan feels beyond our grasp, how do we sit with our frustration? Are we able to be like Habakkuk and choose to wait as watchmen? To wait, not in passive resignation, but with watchful expectation, our hearts fixed on God?
A Call to Live by Faith, Not Just to Believe
God reminds Habakkuk that while the arrogant trust in themselves, the righteous will live by faith (Hab 2:4). Our faith should not be a passive belief but a way of life. It should be a conscious choice to trust in God’s righteousness, even when doubt feels easier, acknowledging that God is sovereign, and resting in the certainty of who He is (Isa 46:9).
Faith in the midst of Doubt
Faith is not the absence of questions, nor is it indifference to the injustice around us. Even Habakkuk wrestled with his doubts. However, we need to adjust our response to doubts. We ought to recognize that there is a time to question, and also a time to be still, to surrender the need for immediate answers, trusting that God is still at work even in the silence. As we read His words, let us pause and wonder: Are we truly living by faith amid our struggles?
A Final Reminder: God Is Still on the Throne
At the end of this chapter, God gives a final reminder, that the Lord is in His holy temple, and all the earth shall keep silent before Him in the face of His sovereignty and power (Hab 2:20). It is not for us to know the times or seasons (Acts 1:7), for He will bring down justice on the evil in His time (Hab 2:3). Trust in His timing and wait patiently (Ps 37:7), and with a submissive heart, we will be able to hear His answer (Ps 85:8).
A Choice to Make
The decision remains with us: to trust in God's appointed time or be overcome by our impatience and fear. May we learn from Habakkuk and channel our frustrations and doubts into prayers. And may we choose, like the righteous, to live and wait with faith.