Living without a hopeful heart in this world would be miserable!
Why Hope?
We certainly have many questions regarding our future, and it fills us with a lot of anxiety, especially when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances. We may think this is unique for us in the modern world, but far from it, the scriptures are filled with many people who find themselves in the same predicaments. So, dear believer, you are not alone in the painful questions you may have asked yourself in the past days, weeks, or years because, just like you, Habakkuk also asked himself painful questions for which he received unexpected answers from the sovereign Lord. The answers serve as our foundation for our longing for hope in uncertain, difficult, and painful times. The dialogue between the prophet and God is presented in a question-and-answer format in which Habakkuk makes his complaints and prayers to God while waiting for hope and reassurance. Many of us take the same posture before God as we wrestle with questions of our future, even as we pray for better days ahead. Here is a person like you and me who exposes the depth and intensity of his wrestling heart. He questions his future and his people's, eventually showing us where his assurance lies. His assurance in the Lord strengthens his faith as he engages in prayer.
Habakkuk's Prayer
Habakkuk's prayer in Chapter 3 is enlightening, and it happens in the context of a wicked nation where sin abounds, and the wicked seem to prosper at the expense of the righteous. It is also painful for the prophet because it seems God watches the situation of His people idly. It seems as if the Lord is far removed from His people, even as many undergo undeserved suffering. There is no doubt that the prophet understands that God is sovereign, but he cannot understand why He seems inactive and why He cannot show or reveal that He is in control. The prophet is in a deep spiritual crisis because he cannot understand why God seems silent even amid His people's suffering. It was a period of difficulty whereby the future looked unpromising, and there was little to look forward to. Sometimes, our God seems silent while the wicked are visibly prospering, and we are left to wonder whether there is hope for a better tomorrow.
God's Sovereignty
Feeling as if God is silent is a common feeling for us who wonder at the suffering of the righteous when we look at the future. Your struggles might differ, and your circumstances may not correspond to Habakkuk's situations. Still, all the same, you might be undergoing some difficulties and pain that may falter your faith. Further, when the Lord answers the prophet in the first chapter, it is not what Habakkuk was hoping for because it only added to his distress and may have caused the prophet to question his understanding of God's sovereignty. God pronounces judgment upon His chosen people. Part of His plan seems worse to Habakkuk than what the people suffer. Dear friends in Christ, sometimes the answers of the Lord may not make sense to us, and He may not respond according to our expectations. But Habakkuk still trusts that the Lord has the best solution and that the nation's history was not led by blind fate; rather, the holy and righteous God was still in control. Not understanding God's sovereignty over us and the events of this world does not mean we cannot trust the Lord. The problem is not with the Lord but with our trust in Him. Eventually, the Lord lays out His plan in the second chapter as the prophet painfully waits for an answer, and the Lord confirms His firm control over all the affairs of His people in history as He also gives His divine promise. Be patient and trust that the Lord is firmly in control over your life.
Persevering in Hope
Nonetheless, the truth is that Habakkuk's painful questions are not all resolved, as many of our questions may never be on this side of glory. However, Habakkuk teaches us what it means to persevere in hope and wait upon God confidently as He fulfills His promises and brings all things to their proper end. Habakkuk teaches us why we should keep hope alive. He prays with intense longing, which is the proper posture of a Christian amid such circumstances. Nonetheless, even when God responds, we will never fully understand His ways. During these moments, let us never forget that His purposes are sure and will always be for our good (Genesis 50: 19-20; Romans 8:28). God is not playing a guessing game with your life, and neither is he gambling with it, and that is His assurance to us as His children (Psalm 23). Habakkuk tells us that we ought to keep our hope alive as his complaints turn into a prayer of joy full of expectation in chapter 3.
Prayer is Central
The prophet teaches us that prayer should never be substituted for anything, even when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances. Habakkuk prays even when the future remains uncertain. If we must learn of anything in the Scriptures, it is about prayer. The Psalms are always a great guide, and there is a refreshing of our souls when we commune with our God, just as Habakkuk reveals, for He who is sovereign over all cannot be alarmed by our uncertainties. The prophet does not cease in prayer, nor does he let anxiety overwhelm him, for Habakkuk knows his only hope, just like the Apostle Paul strengthens us (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Philippians 4:6-7). Yet, many times, there is difficulty in committing to prayer, especially when we encounter difficulties. Habakkuk finds himself in such a situation, and God's response of judgment is even more distressing. Even amid such, he knows that if he dared look into himself, there is no hope, for his heart is downcast. He declares and reveals to us that he patiently waits and receives strength from the Lord (Habakkuk 2:1; 3:19). The Christian's prayer flourishes in patience and in seeking strength from the Lord.
Something else to note is that Habakkuk's prayer is not engrossed in self. Once the prophet starts to pray, he does not turn to himself, trying to complain about his past and present circumstances. Sadly, there is a tendency amongst many believers only to complain when they are in the presence of their Lord. There is a kind of rebellion in their words as they call God into question over His actions or inactiveness in their lives. While there is nothing wrong in sharing your anguish and distress with God, as David often does in the Psalms, persistence with such an attitude soon leads to weariness and more discouragement. Even David knows how to delight in God after His complaints because of an awareness that focusing on the self obscures his view of the sovereign God. A better response from David is that he delights in the Lord (Psalm 6; 22; 40). Simply, Habakkuk offered a God-centered prayer that recounted the nature and character of God. Habakkuk had a lesser view of himself and his circumstances and an amplified view of the faithful God. Such should be our embrace, especially when we are uncertain of the future and amid difficult circumstances.
Learn to Pray!
Thus, to keep hope alive, we must learn how to pray. We must exercise patience in the presence of the Almighty, for He works according to His own time. But we should hope that even in delay, He directs all things for our good. Further, we must learn to draw strength from God because we are frail and weak by ourselves (Habakkuk 3:19; Isaiah 40:29-31; 2 Samuel 22:33; Psalm 28:7-8; Psalm 73:26). Lastly, our posture in prayer is of chief importance. We have to make sure we know that the Lord is greater than any of our problems and that while we can humbly express our anguish and pain, we must recognize who He is. Even when Christ teaches His disciples to pray, He sets their hearts to acknowledge God even before asking for forgiveness or offering thanksgiving (Matthew 6:9-13). Prayer is not negotiable when it comes to keeping our Christian hope alive. Let us pray if we are to remain hopeful.
