Bullets From The Bible 1-9-18
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Habakkuk 1:2-4 says, “O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.”
Habakkuk was a prophet of God and was one of the few righteous people left in Israel in his day. Habakkuk struggled with the problem of evil in the world and especially evil among the people claiming to be the people of God. He was so distraught over the issue that he even questioned God about why God had not destroyed the evil yet.
Israel went through many cycles of good and evil in the Old Testament. They would turn evil. God would send an army to punish them. They would turn back good for a while. Then they would turn evil again. It seems that this is the cycle of man throughout history and no doubt a cycle that we are living in our country as well. The words of God to a distraught Habakkuk are encouraging.
Habakkuk 1:5 “Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.”
God’s words tell Habakkuk to watch. He will be amazed and will not believe the work that God is going to preform. God goes on in the next few verses to tell Habakkuk of the specific armies that will come in and punish Israel.
Most evil people feel like they get away with their evil. Most evil people feel like they don’t answer to anyone and that they can do whatever they want. Yet God’s patience with man must not be confused with His justice. There will come a day when the righteous will be rewarded and the wicked will be punished. There will come a day when perfect justice will be served. We might one day see a partial justice served in this world, but the perfect and complete justice will be in eternity. Don’t lose heart. Don’t give up. Realize that God is in control and will one day judge. Just be sure that you are the good...and not the evil.
