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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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Habakkuk 1:13
“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”
Habakkuk had a tough time with God. But he was prepared to ask the hard questions.
In verse 3, he remonstrated with God about the injustices which confronted him and the fact that he kept crying out to Him but He didn’t answer. Then God answered in verses 5-11 but it was not altogether good news or what he had expected. Habakkuk had complained about the state of the nation and asked God when He was going to do something about it. God replied – “Soon, I’m going to send in a ruthless enemy army – the Babylonians.” (As with Jonah, not quite what the prophet wanted.)
In the second part of the chapter, he complained that the Lord had tolerated that which His character must find abhorrent. I must admit I’m a bit like Habakkuk. I fail to understand why evil people should triumph while here I am struggling with life and yet at the same time trying to do all I can to bring in the Kingdom of God. I keep thinking that if I work at bringing in the Kingdom, the evil and wicked people will be harnessed or silenced, and my life made a whole lot easier.
Not so. No wonder the prophet got frustrated and no wonder we read, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8). Is God volatile? Does He keep changing His character to suit?
No. But I do believe Jesus gave us an insight into His ways. He gave us the parable of the weeds. The enemy sowed weeds into the field of good seed. “Do you want us to go and pull them up?” “No. Because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest” (Matthew 13:24-30).
There is going to be a harvest time. Be encouraged, the harvest time will surely come but it is in God’s perfect timing.
God says, “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” (v 5).
It’s one of those verses that grips you, isn’t it? I believe it is perennial. It was not just for Habakkuk, it is for us too. I believe it is also a Character definition of our Creator.
Watch. We need to be constantly alert, for God can still and will do “something in [our] days that [we] would not believe, even if [we] were told!” (v 5)
It is a challenge to remember that God is an awesome God and capable of anything. Never ever put God ‘in a box’ or consider Him incapable of sorting out this world once and for all. Leave the ‘way’ and the ‘timing’ to Him. He still loves sinners whilst loathing the sins we commit.
As we read in verse 13, God is incapable of looking on evil and doing nothing. But He will sort it out in righteousness, with justice and in His time.
Let God be God. Our job is to be faithful and obedient and leave the rest to Him.
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