Until you have heard from God, you truly lack direction on what action to take. Habakkuk understood this principle well and was determined to wait for God’s instruction regarding the crisis he observed in his country.
I will stand at my watchpost
and station myself on the rampart;
I will keep watch to see what he will say to me
and what he will answer concerning my complaint. Habakkuk 2.1
God Response
The comedian Lily Tomlin once joked that prayer is talking to God. She goes on to say that when we think God talks to us it’s schizophrenia. Unfortunately, she’s wrong. A personal relationship with God involves both talking to Him and listening to Him.
Habakkuk uttered his complaint and God responded, just as we can expect in a relationship with our loving Heavenly Father.
Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so that a runner may read it. Habakkuk 2.2
God directed Habakkuk to record the message He was about to deliver in a manner so clear and visible that it could be easily understood at a glance, much like reading a billboard while driving.
Another way to interpret this directive is that the message was meant to guide how to run their lives.
Wait for It
In verses 3 through 5, God reveals two distinct approaches to receiving His message. On one hand, He calls us to wait with faithfulness, highlighting the importance of patience and trust in His timing and wisdom.
This calls for a humble acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty and an understanding that His plans unfold in their due time.
On the other hand, human pride and arrogance can overcome and determine human behavior. This attitude reflects a reliance on human understanding and abilities where we are unwilling to wait on God’s plan and timing.
Such pride and arrogance can lead individuals away from the path God intends for them. It is a self-centered approach to life that contrasts sharply with the humility and faith required to truly embrace God’s message.
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay.
Look at the proud!
Their spirit is not right in them,
but the righteous live by their faithfulness.
Moreover, wealth is treacherous;
the arrogant do not endure.
They open their throats wide as Sheol;
like Death they never have enough.
They gather all nations for themselves
and collect all peoples as their own. Habakkuk 2.3-5
While we are waiting on God, we don’t have to wait with folded hands for His activity. We are to live a life of faithfulness.
God is at work in the world and He expects His followers to join Him. Running the universe is not our problem. That task belongs to God.
But we have a task, and we are to perform it faithfully. We are to live by our faith, steadfastness, and trustworthiness in God.
In a relationship with God, we are to discover where He is working and faithfully join Him in His work.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 