What does the world look like that we see every day? Is it pure, clean, kind, and free? Is it filled with joy, laughter, smiles and happiness? Perhaps some may see it differently because they live in places that are not so enjoyable. Maybe there is wickedness on every corner, and it seems that no one is safe. It has been stated that the level of security of a society is determined by how safe a woman or child feels when she walks down a dark street at night. This might be similar to the world surrounding Habakkuk as he pours out his complaint before God. He continues his plea in chapter one verse three:
Why do you show me iniquity, and cause [me] to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence [are] before me: and there are [that] raise up strife and contention.
It is always interesting how God gets the blame when things go wrong. In this case, Habakkuk questions God about the world in which he lives. He asks God, “Why do you show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?” Iniquity was all around. Evil deeds and wrongdoings were causing people to grieve. Loss always incurs grief, and when people lose life and possessions, grief is the normal response. The abundant iniquity grieved Habakkuk, and he was having a difficult time understanding why God would allow him to view these things.
Habakkuk next mentions “spoiling and violence”. Thieves were prevalent. People were taking things that do not belong to them. More than this they harmed others through violence. Crime was prevalent, and the only way we can relate to what Habakkuk saw is when we consider the crimes committed today against people in our nation. The site of these horrible things would trouble any of us.
Habakkuk is not only troubled by iniquity, grievance, spoiling and violence, he also notes those who “raise up strife and contention.” Habakkuk lived in a world where people waged arguments, complaints, murmurings and rumors. Pride marked people everywhere, and as Solomon wrote in Proverbs chapter thirteen and verse ten:
Only by pride comes contention, but with the well-advised is wisdom.
Strife and contention were the mantras of the day. Everywhere Habakkuk looked people were in conflict with one another. By the way, has anyone watched the news channels lately?
The marvel of this for Habakkuk was that God was allowing him to see all of this. Habakkuk could not understand why God seemed to be sitting on the sidelines, aloof and uncaring. He made an assumption of God that was not true. The Heavenly Father indeed sees the iniquity. He knows every grievance, each spoiling and every act of violence. He also is aware of all conditions of strife and every area of contention. But alas, we do not always realize that He does, and like Habakkuk we may make a wrong assessment of God as well.
Know this, dear one, God sees. God knows, and God has a plan. He knew wickedness would abound, so He sent His son Jesus Christ to pay for every act of iniquity, grievance, spoiling, violence, strive and contention. Could it be that our meditation for today might be that we reassure ourselves of the sovereign, all-knowing consciousness of God, and if we doubt His ability because of our lack of understanding, maybe we will consider the thoughts of Habakkuk as our own.
Next time we will look at the results of a society that behaves in the manner in which Habakkuk saw it, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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