Life Action

My friend woke up after open heart surgery to learn that his left leg was going to be amputated. Other friends of mine have arrived at work to find a dreaded pink slip, due to the economic downturn.

Disasters come in different varieties, but at one time or another, they touch all of us. And then there's the bigger scale: war, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, starvation, debt, corruption—it's enough to make any thinking person afraid, even terrified. Yet we are asked to live by faith. We are asked to trust God even when He allows tragedy to beset us. Why should we, and how can we?

Habakkuk was a prophet of God to the nation of Judah just before its destruction by the pagan Babylonian Empire. His struggle with fear and frustration because of the disaster, suffering, judgment, and trouble of his day mirrors what many of us feel about the conditions in our world today.

The book of Habakkuk presents a journey from the valley of despair to the heights of glory. Habakkuk moves from focusing on the frightening circumstances of life to trusting completely in the faithfulness of God; from wrestling to resting. The name Habakkuk means "to embrace," and fittingly so, as the ultimate challenge of the book is to embrace God and His plan completely, even when trouble is on the horizon. Evaluating the prophet's journey from fear to faith may help us on our own:

We are tempted to despair. (Hab. 1:1-4)

Habakkuk was a man of faith. Yet his confidence was founded on some false expectations—that God would always mete out justice in a way that he could understand, that God would not allow the wicked to harm the righteous. He responded in doubt, anger, and fear, just as you and I often do. Something is wrong with the way You are doing things, God!

We wrestle with God. (Hab. 1:5-2:1)

Habakkuk's frustration was compounded when God answered the complaint with specifics of His divine plan—God would raise up the Babylonians to defeat Judah! The prophet understood God's purpose in using Babylon as a tool of judgment; but even then, "Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?" (v. 13 NIV). How could you let this happen, God?

Our commitment wavers. Our trust in God's love, justice, and truth falters. Questions born of anxiety and anger fill our hearts. While we may know the "right" answers in our heads, we don't want to hear them. We want God to operate on our terms. Our faith is shown to be conditional, limited, incomplete—perhaps not faith at all.

And this is where we must wrestle, as Habakkuk did. We've cast doubt on the God in whom we claim to believe. We've disagreed with the One we claim is eternally wise. Fear fills our hearts, not just at the disaster we face but at the realization that something is amiss in the very foundations of our faith.

Our faith is renewed. (Hab. 2:2-20)

For those of us whose questions and doubts flow from an honest heart, God opens our eyes. He illumines our minds and strengthens us to grasp the breadth of His love and vision for us. Our hearts are calmed when we grasp the big picture:

• God sits on His heavenly throne, observing all that we do. (2:20)

• God will bring everyone to judgment at the proper time. (2:4-20)

• God gives us light for our pathway through the revelation of His Word. (2:2-3)

• God often uses the folly of mankind to accomplish His will. (2:5-11)

• God's glory will ultimately fill the earth. (2:14)

God will accomplish His ends. The means may seem frightening at times, tempting us to dread, but there is no need. Whatever fear we feel can be displaced by faith in a God greater than the storm.

Faith displaces our fear. (Hab. 3:1-19)

Habakkuk's faith grew as he read God's Word. Centuries earlier, the people of God had been slaves in Egypt, desperate and without hope. They questioned God's promise, but He proved Himself faithful. He delivered them from an evil tyrant, one that seemed impossibly strong. If God did it then, He can do it again! Many of God's people in Egypt failed to trust God, and in the face of slavery they succumbed to fear.

Would Habakkuk join them in this failure, or would he walk the road of faith no matter how difficult it became? In that moment his complaint became a prayer, his challenge became praise, and his fear melted away. Habakkuk embraced God and His plan. He chose to rest in God, to honor His name, to stand firm. "I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. . . . Though the olive crop fails . . . yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior" (3:16-18).

Once Habakkuk had settled the focus of his faith, he could rest in God's arms, even as the foundations of his nation were crumbling around him. "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights" (3:19).

Study Assignments

• Examine 1 Samuel 17, comparing the responses of King Saul and David to the taunts of Goliath. Consider the reasons they had for their fear and faith.

• Study Psalm 11 in light of the fears you harbor about your nation and your future. Write down how God wants you to respond to those fears.

• James 1 suggests that our faith in God and our wisdom in making decisions will mature if we let trials complete their task. What trials has God used in your life to develop your faith? How have they prepared you for the “crown of life”?