Yet I'll Rejoice
Are you crying out to God?
Are you asking why?
Why didn’t I get the job? Why didn’t I get the house? Why didn’t I get the guy?
“Are you even listening, Lord? Why are you so distant? Why will you not answer my prayers?”
Like the prophet Habakkuk, you might also be questioning why God would allow evil to triumph. You may not hear God speak directly to you with the answer, but He has already given us the answers through the Bible.
Habakkuk had a conversation with God over the course of three chapters in the Bible. He had questions, too.
Habakkuk was a prophet in the time when Judah was a hot mess (they seem like they always are - just like us). Half the nation was in exile and the remainder was on the brink of invasion and were committing evil in the eyes of the Lord.
Habakkuk hit God with some heavy questions in his distress, such as “How long, Lord, must I call out for help, but you do not listen? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? (Habakkuk 1:2-3) God answered Habakkuk. God replied to him,
“For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told” -Habakkuk 1:5.
God explained to Habakkuk how he would use another nation, Babylon, to perform justice on His behalf. The wickedness in Judah would soon be punished. God would humble a prideful and sinful people and stay faithful to his believers. God always has a plan, even when we can not see it. When it seems God is silent or uninvolved, think again; we just need to be patient.
Upon the Lord’s answers, Habakkuk rejoiced, saying, “I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord” (Habakkuk 3:2). Habakkuk ends his prayer,
“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 tread on the heights” -Habakkuk 3:17-19.
Although God’s answers were not fulfilled yet, Habakkuk chose to rejoice in the Lord.
God answers prayers. Sometimes it is just not in the way we want. It may be delayed or come in a different way, but God is using the delay or answering it in a different form for your good (Romans 8:28). And from personal experience, you will thank Him for going with His plan and not your own, because it is so much better.
Pastor Rick Warren once said, “God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls, and coal into diamonds using time and pressure. He’s working on you, too.”
Do not lose heart. You will never be in a place so dark God cannot reach you. God is using time and pressure to build your character and deepen your trust and faith in Him. Do not look to the world to find your answers or find an easier path. God is with you. He did not promise life would be perfect, but He promised to be with us no matter what. Even if life isn’t going how you planned it, rejoice in the fact that God knows the plan.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Whitney can be described by the opening lyrics of a few Tom Petty songs. She's a good girl who grew up in a small Indiana town who loves her mama, Jesus, and America too. She practices medicine as a physician assistant at an urgent care. Whitney is a music enthusiast and leads worship at her church. She has a heart for people, and wants to help young girls and women find their worth in Christ rather than what the world says of them. Whitney loves a good dad joke, the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, Southern manners, working on her fitness, attempting Pinterest crafts, and cheering on Indiana University basketball.