Prayer of Habakkuk
Habakkuk is unique because he asked God some hard questions. Messages were given to many prophets from God for the people to hear. But Habakkuk asked God questions! He asked why God was not punishing Judah for her evil ways. The prophet looked out across the land and saw violence, abuse of power, acts of injustice, and oppression. Habakkuk found the law powerless. He expressed his horror in the first few verses of Habakkuk (Hab. 1:2-4). Habakkuk cried out in agony, "Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear?"When God answered and said He was raising Babylon to punish Judah, Habakkuk asked how a just God could use a wicked nation like Babylon to punish His chosen people. He struggled with one of the central questions of our age, why God allows wickedness to increase! Habakkuk's questions are also our questions today.
The news reported in the papers and social media is disturbing. Financial irregularities and immorality among believers and ministry leaders break our hearts. Greed, power, and idolatry have become the moving force in our society. Often it appears as though success comes to people who violate God's laws and reject Him altogether. Immorality is flaunted as the life-style and so families are breaking down. Habakkuk had lived at a time very much like our own! Our God is a God of love. There is no doubt about it. But the Bible says that God is also a consuming fire. While God looks upon the repentant sinner with love, He is a consuming fire to the one who indulges in sin willfully. When Habakkuk heard the Lord tell him what God was about to do to punish Judah, he appealed to His mercy. God is the epitome of mercy. He is El Rachum, the compassionate and merciful God. Habakkuk prayed, saying, "... in wrath, remember mercy" (Hab. 3:2).
My friend, God is giving us another season of Lent to repent and draw closer to Him. Unless the Church, the body, and the bride of Christ, repents and returns to the God of the Bible, we will have to experience the wrath of God! Let the prayer of Habakkuk be our prayer today, "Lord, in Your wrath, remember mercy!"
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