The Problem Isn't as Seen

Scripture:
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.
Habakkuk 1:1-4

Observation: Habakkuk is appealing to the Lord for a logical understanding of what the Lord is doing about Judah's sin. Like Israel before, Judah has fallen into a culture that rejects the Lord and follows all kinds of other beliefs and practices. Evil is everywhere, and Habakkuk just wants to understand why Yahweh isn't acting to stop or change it.

Habakkuk will get his scary answer ... that the Lord is doing something, which will involve Babylon totally destroying Judah. The Lord will go on to clarify and agree with the fact that the prideful and rich people currently flaunting faith and justice will not only be brought to account, but will be wiped out. Everything Habakkuk wants God to do, he answers that he will in fact do, and Habakkuk praises him even in the face of that terrible impending judgment.

However, it is this first problem statement from Habakkuk that sets an interesting tone. Habakkuk lays out the issue - summarized, it is that evil is pervasive in everyday life everywhere - and openly questions God's lack of response. When the Lord responds, however, he doesn't state that he will put an end to evil. Instead, he says he will address the hearts of individuals and explicitly their relationship with the Lord. He will destroy those who have placed their faith in other worthless gods, and thus make it clear that such a lifestyle is empty, fruitless, and leads to eternal death of the soul.

Application: How often have I sat around and wondered - to myself, to my wife, to others of faith, and to the Lord himself - about why God is allowing the degradation of society to occur? I have practically said exactly what Habakkuk says here ... "God, how long do I have to cry out for help?" "Why do you force me to look at evil?" "Law and order fall to pieces!" I ask God why he is allowing this, and when will he intervene.

And just like for Habakkuk, the Lord corrects my worldview. The problem isn't about scrubbing evil from the world, but rather it is about addressing the topic of faith in the Lord. Where people do not have faith in the Lord, all kinds of problems prevail. Where they do have faith in the Lord ... well, evil will still occur, sins will still be committed, and issues will still arise ... but there will be a path toward peace and hope, with a common framework for working through such issues.

Yes, our western society is broken, contaminated with so many lies and false teachings that we are losing millions of people to eternal hopelessness. However, the solution is not to attack those lies. The solution is to return hearts to the Lord, and offer the message of hope and joy found in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, once again we approach the "holiday" season, and a time when many believers will be offered the chance to tell the vast majority of non-believers about Jesus. May we have the wisdom and words to do so, without engagement in conversations about evil, but simply with engagement in conversations about your love. Yes, may revival start as hearts return to you. Amen.