Why Are You Silent?

Sustaining Hope
Dark Nights of the Soul

Rejoice Anyway

Habakkuk 1:12-17 The Message

^12-13 God, you’re from eternity, aren’t you?
    Holy God, we aren’t going to die, are we?
God, you chose Babylonians for your judgment work?
    Rock-Solid God, you gave them the job of discipline?
But you can’t be serious!
    You can’t condone evil!
So why don’t you do something about this?
    Why are you silent now?
This outrage! Evil men swallow up the righteous
    and you stand around and watch!

^14-16 You’re treating men and women
    as so many fish in the ocean,
Swimming without direction,
    swimming but not getting anywhere.
Then this evil Babylonian arrives and goes fishing.
    He pulls in a good catch.
He catches his limit and fills his creel—
    a good day of fishing! He’s happy!
He praises his rod and reel,
    piles his fishing gear on an altar and worships it!
It’s made his day,
    and he’s going to eat well tonight!

¹⁷ Are you going to let this go on and on?
    Will you let this Babylonian fisherman
Fish like a weekend angler,
    killing people as if they’re nothing but fish?

 
For Reflection

God is mysterious.  Humankind have a difficult time when their expectations for God's performance are measured in human terms.  God's time is not our time, God's methods are not human methods, God's expectations for humans are not derived from our humanity.

But God is compassionate,  God is just,  God is forgiving.  God manages God's creation so that Good triumphs over evil.  If we have patience, God's plan for God's kingdom will be realized.  God's plan for each of us will be fulfilled.

 

Pray

Rejoice in the living God.  Pray to the God of our salvation.  Pray for patience.  Pray for the wisdom to wait on the Lord.