Habakkuk 1:5-11

Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.

Bible Reading

“Look at the nations and watch-and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour; they all come intent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them. Then they sweep past like wind and go on – guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”

– Habakkuk 1:5-11

Devotion

Notice God’s answer to Habakkuk’s question: “Look, and be utterly amazed.” This was not the answer that Habakkuk was looking for. In His response, God is telling Habakkuk why the Babylonians are coming: since God’s people have rejected His justice, they will have Babylon’s justice. Since God’s people have opted for violence, they will experience Babylon’s violence. Habakkuk asks God to take care of the problems, and God tells him that His people are a huge part of the problem. This is not easy to hear or accept. Where God’s Words are ignored, God can and will use every measure as part of His corrective purposes.

The Big Question

In Hebrews the 12th chapter, Paul writes, “The Lord disciplines those He loves…If you are not disciplined…then you are not true sons…God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.” God’s holiness is a difficult concept to grasp. God is holy! He cannot deny Himself. God wants us to be holy. Are you currently undergoing God’s corrective hand of discipline? If so, God is inviting you to share in His holiness. How will you respond to God’s love and justice?

Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what God has revealed to you today.