In these days of distressing news around the globe, I feel like Habakkuk and understand his rant towards God when he cried out –

“How long, O 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 wrong? 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.” (Habakkuk 1:2-4)

Sounds like Habakkuk wrote those words just this morning, doesn’t it? As news continues to be made known about the Hamas invasion of Israel, the attacks on and murders of innocent civilians in Israel taking place as I write these words, it seems like evil has the upper hand and is winning at the moment. Hope is hard to come by as survivors of the attacks huddle in bomb shelters, waiting out the storm of violence and destruction surrounding them.

The world watches, waiting to see what will happen next. I think how isolated and alone they must feel. If only they could know Christ followers around the world are lifting Israel up in prayer twenty-four/seven. We are not blind to the suffering of our brothers and sisters. We are praying –

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.’ For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.” (Psalm 122:6-9)

We see what is taking place and more importantly, God is not missing a moment of what His chosen people are experiencing. After all – “not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from His notice.” Today I noticed a view from the country of Israel on my blog. It got my attention because Israel is already on my mind and never before have I seen a view from this country, although I have from many other countries in the past. This made me feel even more personally connected to the people there and what they are going through today and facing in the days ahead. Only God knows. Habakkuk said this –

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)

In Habakkuk’s day, we could say the people were living in desperate and uncertain circumstances. Must be why Habakkuk said –

“But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.” The he prayed – “Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” (Habakkuk 2:20, 3:2)

All these centuries later, we still want to witness the mighty deeds of our God on behalf of His people. But in order for that to come to pass, we like Habakkuk must come to the place where we can truly say –

“Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:16-19)

Trusting God and praising God when circumstances are dire – that is true faith. Habakkuk made that choice. When his country was desolate – there were no figs, grapes, olives, grain, sheep or cattle (no hope) – he said, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” Habakkuk choose to put his hope in the Living God. He put his faith into action and praised God in spite of his circumstances. That is hard to do and it doesn’t make sense to those around us. But to this we are called.

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.” (Psalm 37:7-11)

praying for the peace of Jerusalem,

sincerely, Grace Day