My Name Is Habakkuk...
My heart ached, and my spirit was restless...
To the faithful, who, even when surrounded by turmoil, keep their eyes fixed on the Eternal Light,
Greetings, I am Habakkuk, a prophet who bore witness to some of the most tumultuous times of our history. From 612 BC to 589 BC, I journeyed through a terrain of questions, doubts, and eventually, unshakeable trust in the Divine. I pen down this letter to share my heart and the revelations I received during those challenging times.
“Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.” (Habakkuk 1:3, ESV)
My initial days were marked with distress. Everywhere I looked, I saw the wicked flourishing, while the righteous were oppressed. My heart ached, and my spirit was restless. Why would a just God allow such a disparity? I cried out to Him, yearning for answers, desperate for intervention.
“Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?” (Habakkuk 1:13, NASB)
In my moments of intense questioning, God, in His infinite grace, responded. He pulled back the curtain of time to reveal a fragment of His majestic plan. Though it looked as if evil was reigning, God was orchestrating events for His divine purpose.
“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.” (Habakkuk 1:5, ESV)
The Chaldeans, fierce and formidable, rose to power. Yet, in God's sovereign design, they were instruments, used to chasten, and eventually, to be chastened. In God's grand scheme, every nation's rise and fall had its divinely appointed time.
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14, ESV)
Through my dialogues with the Almighty, I transitioned from perplexity to profound trust. The world might be in upheaval, but God remained firmly on His throne. My role was not to understand all His ways but to trust His heart, to walk by faith and not by sight.
“The righteous shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4b, ESV)
My dear brothers and sisters in faith, the circumstances around us might often seem overwhelming. The world can appear chaotic, with darkness seemingly overpowering the light. But our God is in control. Even when we cannot trace His hand, we can trust His heart.
"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." (Habakkuk 3:17-18, ESV)
In our moments of doubt, let us remember that God’s plan is perfect, His timing impeccable. Our finite minds cannot fathom the vastness of His wisdom. But with humble hearts, we can submit to His will, knowing that in all things, He works for the good of those who love Him.
“God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.” (Psalm 46:5, ESV)
May we all, in our individual journeys, learn to trust more deeply, to praise more sincerely, and to walk more closely with our God. For in the end, our questions will fade, but His love will remain, steadfast and eternal.
With a heart full of hope and trust,
Habakkuk.
