The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it: God, how long do I have to cry out for help before you listen? How many times do I have to yell, "Help! Murder! Police!" before you come to the rescue? Why do you force me to look at evil, stare trouble in the face day after day? Anarchy and violence break out, quarrels and fights all over the place. Law and order fall to pieces. Justice is a joke. The wicked have the righteous hamstrung and stand justice on its head. God Says, "Look!" What's God going to say to my questions? I'm braced for the worst. I'll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I'll wait to see what God says, how he'll answer my complaint. And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming - it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time. "Look at that man, bloated by self-importance - full of himself but soul-empty. But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive.(Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4The Message)
On Monday we looked at the story of Zacchaeus, and how peace finally came to him and those whom he had defrauded. I imagine many of those who knew the "wee little man" wondered like the cry of the prophet in today's passage; "How long, Lord, before I see Your response?" And it wasn't until that day that Zacchaeus realized that salvation could be his that true peace came to his life and to those whom had lost money to this tax collector. That community, having seen and experienced the power of God, came to faith and began to be fully alive, really alive. That may be true of us as well; something has disturbed us so deeply, we can hardly look up any more. We shuffle around, going through the motions of being somewhat alive, and as we seep energy, we may be seeping faith. The prophet heard God say, "If it seems low in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time." And it will. The key is not to give up, not to stop praying and believing, not to stop trying to grow our faith in Jesus Christ.
When that day comes and your burden is lifted, return to faith and be alive, fully alive, really alive.
PRAYER; Come, loving God, to my life and need. You know my heart and I pray that You would be glorified. Help me to be a person of faith and to live a life that is fully alive, really alive. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
