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How long, Lord, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not save?
“Keep Trusting God in troubled Times”
Text: Habakkuk 1:1-4, 12-14
Introduction: There is a dilemma that has confronted the household of faith in every age or period of time. It is the dilemma of seemingly un answered prayer for the healing of society. When so many prayers for peace in the world in which we live seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Human evils are escalating at an alarming rate and no end to it seems to be in sight. So many prayers are being offered for healing beside a sickbed only to be confronted with death; spouses are praying for love to embrace their homes only to find hatred and anger. Anxiousness causing folk to pray for serenity but ending up further disturbed and agitated. When injustice and mass cruelty and inhumane acts are plaguing our societies, the natural inclination is to make it stop. In our own strength, controlling others is impossible. However when we seek help from God, change is inevitable. It may not happen when you want it too but it will happen. Bringing about an end to injustice is a noble pursuit. But going at it alone is not the answer. Here in our text today, we have the Prophet Habakkuk who’s complaint is, the people of Judah have abandoned the righteous order intended by God for their society, despite the fact that they had renewed their covenant with the Lord and underwent a sweeping religious reform only twelve years earlier. He understood that their dire situation called for intervention from the divine Judge. The problem is what if divine intervention does not come or to Habakkuk didn’t seem like it was coming. So he cry’s , “how long shall I cry for help and you will not hear?” Three things that the text points out to us today that we should do in-spite of justice seeming not to prevail.
Pray against Perversion (vs. 2-3)
The word pervert means to change the inherent purpose or function of something. In our text, the Prophet reflects on what he sees as a perversion of justice. There were some things that were just not right. I don’t care how they tried to mask them as right, they were in violation of God’s laws. He points out the fact that God’s people should act justly toward one another. He further asserts that the Chaldeans should not be winning the battle. On the Christian journey you can rest assured that God will prevail. It does not matter how skilled you are at fighting, distorting, causing confusion, or thinking you have all the intelligence and every right answer eventually God will prevail. For those of us who know what pray can do my encouragement is to keep on praying. This condition the Prophet sees as an obvious perversion of justice and he calls it out exactly for what it is. The lesson or nugget that we can glean out of Habakkuk’s assessment is; after we have identified perversion of righteousness, we should seek God’s advice and knowledge, accept it without protesting it and help change the wrong that is clearly in our view. Pray against perversion or the alteration of being just or fair in everything we do. This is not a game where if you don’t win you refuse to play or start your own league inside of the one God has already established. There is no other foundation that should be laid or projected other than that of Jesus Christ. He is our solid foundation.
Pray against Paralysis (Vs. 4, 12-14)
Habakkuk sense of helplessness is felt throughout the text. He feels paralyzed. He feels like his people are paralyzed. Do you ever feel helpless when it comes down to controlling the behavior of others? Listen my friends; in order to see good done we must be able to move. Paralyzing the movement is not God’s way. If its increases the quality of life, if it is well thought out and agreed that it is best or useful, if God has mandated in His word that it is something that we should be doing, why should it be paralyzed by selfish motives, and twisted concepts that are aimed at controlling the atmosphere like we desire it to be. Habakkuk appeals for the hands of his people to be loosed. What we can learn from the text is, we should pray that God preserve our ability to win battles and gain the victory over paralyzing situations. Pray that God will keep us in perfect peace because our minds and ways are focused on Him and we trust Him.
Pray for Protection (vs. 12-14)
The scene is as if Habakkuk is in a court room, standing before the Almighty, his anxiety exhibited in his appeal is justified. His concern for his people and his case is presented to God. He is passionate about their condition because he knows that if they continue on the path that they are on judgment is soon to come. The wrath of the almighty will visit them and the enemy who is oppressing them. He does not want them to focus on the enemy but He pleads with them to look deep within and consider the way of the Lord. He pleads with God because he knows that if the Chaldeans prevail life as they know and knew it would be all over. So praying for God’s protection from ourselves and for ourselves is prudent and necessary if survival and heaven is our goal.
Closure: Good afternoon saints of the Most High, I must hurry to a close. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. If we desire justice to prevail we got to keep on praying that the way and ways of the lord will not be perverted, pray that we don’t get stuck in the paralysis of selfishness, power struggles, and overt disobedience, and pray that God will protect us as we earnestly seek to do His will. The Lord answered Habakkuk in chapter 2; “Write the vision, make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. We are living in changing and perilous times, however the word of God encourages to not fret not because of evildoers, neither be envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shall thou dwell in the land, and verily you shall be fed. God will supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory. Just hold on to His unchanging hand...........