What do we do when God’s actions don’t match how we perceive His character and promises? How do we respond when God doesn’t behave the way we think He should? What do we do when God’s actions collide with our expectations?
This fall I have been involved in a bible study, Amazed and Confused by Heather Zempel, dealing with those questions. It was a study of the book of Habakkuk. Where’s that and who is that you might ask. Habakkuk is a small book in the Old Testament. He was a prophet. Who knew this little book was packed with so much to learn from? Habakkuk looked around and asked God why are the wicked people prospering and how long is this to go on?
God’s response was: “Take a look at the nations and watch what happens! You will be shocked and amazed, for in your days I am doing a work, a work you will never believe even if someone tells you plainly!” Hab. 1:5 It sounds like God was going to do something wonderful and awesome-something good. In actuality God continued with words of warning and what He was going to do didn’t seem good for His people. He told Habakkuk that He was going to bring changes to Judah by invasion of their worst enemies-the Babylonians. That’s not what Habakkuk expected. It didn’t seem fair that the bad guys were going to win. God never claims to be fair or nice. He does claim to be good, just, faithful and loving.
I want God to do things according to my expectations, but He works according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). What seems best to me may not be what is best because God has a perspective that I don’t have. I would not have chosen some of my life experiences over the past few years. I have to ask myself, do I allow my circumstances to define God’s character? OR, do I allow what I know about God tell me the truth about my circumstances? I can either frame God with my problems or frame my problems with God.
Habakkuk didn’t like God’s plan. But God told Habakkuk that it would get worse before it got better. The Babylonians would also be punished. God said you can respond two ways, either trust in yourself or the righteous will live by their faith in God (Hab 2:4).
Faith doesn’t mean that God meets my expectations, but it means I cling to what I know about God’s character and promises. It means trusting that God is who He says He is and He will do what He says, even if it doesn’t meet my expectations. Because God is in control. I may not understand the reasons or the why. The truths of God may be hard to see at times. I can look back to times in my life when I remember God being there for me, knowing He will do it again in His time. Warren Wiersbe says, “God doesn’t always change the circumstances, but He can change us to meet the circumstances. That’s what it means to live by faith.”
I have learned that it’s good to wrestle with God like Habakkuk. Be open with my concerns and cares as long as it draws me closer to Him and not away. It’s good to cling to His Word and promises during times I don’t understand the why and how long. It’s good to remember how God has helped me in the past knowing that He will help me through now. I want to be a survivor, hopeful, not a victim of my circumstances, helpless.
Our circumstances may not change, in fact they may get worse. But God can change our perspective. Will you allow Him to change yours?
…the righteous will life by faith. Hab 2:4
We will see the rest of Habbakkuk’s story next post.
On the journey,
Trish