Tuesday, March 11’s devotional. Habakkuk wrestled with a troubling reality: God was going to use Babylon, a nation more wicked than Judah, to bring judgment upon His people. The prophet could not comprehend how a holy God could allow such an injustice. He cried out, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself?” (Habakkuk 1:13, CSB). Like Habakkuk, we may sometimes struggle to see God’s justice in a broken world.
When we look around, we see injustice everywhere—corruption, violence, oppression. It can be tempting to ask, “God, where are You in all this?” The prophet Isaiah reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways. This is the Lord’s declaration. For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, CSB). God’s justice operates on a divine timetable, and His ways often transcend our understanding.
The Babylonians were ruthless, “dragging people away like fish in a net, gloating over their success” (Habakkuk 1:15). Habakkuk questioned how they could continue “destroying nations without mercy” (Habakkuk 1:17). Yet, even in his confusion, he positioned himself to hear from God. “I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint” (Habakkuk 2:1, CSB). This is the posture of faith—bringing honest questions before God and waiting for His answer. As Dave said, “Faith doesn’t mean we will always understand, but it does mean we will trust.”
The church is called to trust in God’s justice even when it seems delayed. The Benoni Baptist Church covenant states, “We seek to walk together in brotherly love and unity, expressing care, concern, and watchfulness over each other, encouraging, urging, and when necessary admonishing one another.” In times of confusion, we strengthen one another by reminding ourselves of God’s faithfulness. Justice may not come on our schedule, but God promises, “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late” (Habakkuk 2:3, CSB).
Lord, I confess that sometimes I struggle to see Your justice in the world around me. When evil seems to triumph, help me trust that You are in control. Teach me to wait patiently and to stand firm in faith. Give me the assurance that Your justice will prevail in Your perfect time. Strengthen my heart so that I may live by faith and not by sight. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
This devotional content is not penned by the preacher. It is derived from the sermon notes. We aim to provide bite-sized reflections throughout the week for devotion and reflection.