Have you ever had such a conversation with God?  Have you ever felt like God was just ignoring evil and not responding to prayer, not giving any guidance or answers?

“So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth perverted.” (1:4)
Habakkuk wanted to know when justice would prevail.  He was trying to understand what was God up to?

And God answered him:
“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” (1:5)

Wow! What a response. God basically said:  Don’t worry, Habakkuk.  I’ve got this and what I’ve got planned is going to knock your socks off.
God explained that He wasn’t letting evil go unchecked.  He was at work even through the actions of those who did not acknowledge Him.

God is sovereign over ALL of the details which include being sovereign over even the plans of evildoers. Joseph had a good grasp on this when he said to his brothers who plotted harm against him “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good… (Genesis 50:20)

God’s message to Habakkuk and to us today is to wait for His perfect timing.
"For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end -it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. (2:3)

God said in 2:4 “the righteous shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk was a man of faith.  He shows us by example how to live out that faith.
1. Take it to the Lord in prayer and wait diligently for His answer.
 “I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower and look out to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. (2:1)”

2. He didn’t take matters into his own hands but waited for God to intervene.
“Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. (2:16)”
3. He reflected upon God’s character and what God had done before. He made a choice to trust God and not the circumstances.  Even in the midst of difficult circumstances, Habakkuk chose to focus on all that He had in God.
"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (3:18)”
4. He trusted in God to help him meet the challenges of difficult circumstances.  He clung to God as the source of his strength.
“God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places.” (3:19)

This little book of Habakkuk is such a jewel. It’s as if God knew that there would be those times in every believer’s life when they would struggle with feeling like God was not there and they would despair.
God wanted us to know that:
-Even when he seems distant, He is near.
-Even when He seems silent, He hears our prayer.
-Even when he seems indifferent, He cares.

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Begins August 31st! on Women in the Word.