Habakkuk 1:1-5
Faith in Times of Crisis
What do you do as a believer when you see a nation heading into the storm of God’s judgment? Without a doubt the physical, social, and economic devastation caused by the current virus spread is a form of judgment in some sense as America has turned her back on God. Habakkuk is informative for how God deals with a nation that rejects Him and embraces godless and immoral living. He also shows us what the church must do in the days ahead!
Habakkuk means “to embrace” or “to wrestle.” He does both in his prophecy. Habakkuk wrestles with God’s decision to use an evil empire to chasten His people. How could God allow that to happen? Some question how a good and loving God could allow such suffering on a global scale. But as he reflects on the nature of God, Habakkuk embraces that God is holy and cannot approve sin in the lives of His people. In this way, Habakkuk functions as the paradigm for the people of God. We may wrestle with what is going on around us, but we must embrace God’s sovereign plans and purposes even when that means judgment. Despite the ominous future predicted, the righteous do not turn to other gods for security. Habakkuk demonstrates the vital connection between faith and faithfulness for believers in times of crisis.
How does Habakkuk prepare believers for such times as this? We must realize that our faith will be tested. The prophet seeks God’s intervention for the corruption in the land (1-4). He questions God’s apparent indifference to the deterioration of Judah. As you read through verses 2 and 3, one is confronted with difficult and dangerous times. How can God not act when the land is filled with violence and gross injustice? What do you do when leaders pervert and ignore the law? These are issues we have wrestled with for many years as our nation deteriorates and implodes. Why is God apparently so indifferent to our prayers and inquiries? Why does He appear so insensitive to sin and suffering?
God’s answer is that he is about to discipline a nation and He will do so in a way that astonishes the prophet.
We must not be surprised by the events that are happening around us. The lesson from Habakkuk informs our faith and calls us to action. We must call our nation to repentance. We must turn back to the God who gave us the unalienable rights our founding fathers detailed in the Constitution. Offer a prayer of intercession today for country and for God to be merciful as we repent.
Pastor Chris Thompson