ODJ: waiting for God

July 28, 2015 

READ: Habakkuk 1:2-4, 2:1 

I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the LORD says and how he will answer my complaint (2:1).

At 14 I had been wandering from Jesus. But then I turned back to Him and went from a rebellious teenager to His passionately enthusiastic disciple. One night I planned to stay up until God revealed Himself to me. This lasted about 3 hours before I succumbed to tired eyes and fell asleep. The next morning, I was deeply disappointed that a tangible experience with God didn’t take place. For I thought that He would surely respond to the eager expectations of a young girl. Over the years, however, God has revealed Himself to me in many unexpected ways as I’ve surrendered myself to Him.

The prophet Habakkuk also waited for God to reveal Himself (Habakkuk 2:1). Like us sometimes, he openly questioned the Lord’s timing as he became impatient with His seeming hesitation in dealing with injustice and evil (1:2). Just as we might become frustrated at what we perceive as God’s slowness in dealing with all that’s wrong in our world, Habakkuk longed for God to reveal Himself and bring an end to the appalling injustices around him (vv.3-4).

But the Lord did answer Habakkuk and reminded him that the righteous live not by their circumstances but by their faithfulness to God (2:4). He also reassured the prophet that even though it seemed to be slow in coming, justice would be realised at the right time (vv.6-19). And although nothing changed initially, Habakkuk’s faith was renewed by God’s Word and he waited patiently for Him to move (2:3, 3:16).

—Ruth O’Reilly-Smith

365-day-plan: John 7:32-53

MORE
Read Psalm 27:14 and Isaiah 40:31 to see more results of waiting on God. 
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Are you waiting for God to intervene in your life? What good things can take place as we wait for Him to move?