Habakkuk 1: 1-4
“How long, Lord, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted.”
What does this scripture mean to you? My sweet friend Britney highlighted these verses for a Women’s Group and wrote:
Secretly, I love how this book starts with Habakkuk taking up beef with God. I relate on so many levels and all of my “God, how long” prayers resurface in my mind.
In these verses, Habakkuk is angry with God because he knows God can do something to stop the Babylonians from rising but he doesn’t understand what is taking Him so long. He doesn’t understand if God is working all things together for the good (Romans 8:28) then why do bad things keep happening?
Question 1: What are the things in your life, right now, that you find yourself saying “how long, O Lord must I call for help.”
Journal them, type them, or talk about them with a friend!
For me, I repetitively surrender my relationships with family and friends to Christ. I’m 27 years old and have been walking with Christ for a little over 5 years now. While this walk has been very healing, joyful, and life-giving, I’ve also battled with handling relationships quite often. I feel like my family and many friends don’t understand the new woman in Christ that I am. Heck, sometimes I don’t even understand! Sometimes I’m too scared of what other people will think to boldly walk by faith and not by sight.
And so, every day, I pray for these relationships and the boldness to share with loved ones the impact that Christ has, is, and will continue to make in my life. Without caring about how others will perceive me after.
There’s been a tug of war inside my heart from time to time: the old vs the new, at it again. God always listens. He always hears us. He is always dwelling inside us during these moments where we have no idea what to do and sometimes even feel hopeless.
My friends, during these moments, where our old selves feel desperate for His love, He is making new wine out of us.
In the crushing, in the pressing
You are making new wine.
In the soil, I now surrender
You are breaking new ground– Hillsong Worship
The power of prayer
Answered right here
I’ve been waiting for an answer
The door to open or close;
The Lord listens and He’s the only one who knows
He’s sitting here with me; laughing, crying, holding my hand; Creator of my plans
You name it and He’s there
It’s like the waves of the ocean washing the shells back to shore
His love will purify your life; cleansing your soul that’s thirsting for more
He satisfies our souls and has plans for you and I
The same creator of the sky
Is living inside you and I
His love has, is, and continues to arrive
It’s what makes us thrive
So hold on tight and let Him provide
Cause He satisfies our souls
It’s a perfect romance
If you give it a chance
He’ll give your souls and shoes a reason to dance
Cause when He takes your hand, He’ll never let you go
Categories: Faith, Uncategorized
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