Questioning God…the right way!
Questioning God. I am sure we have all done this at some point in our lives. When I was in college, I questioned God’s existence because I didn’t see him in my life like I thought he should be if he were real. Often times we question the justice of God, saying “How can a good God allow all these evil things to happen in the world?”
Essentially that is where the prophet Habakkuk is when the beginning of his prophetic book starts. He asks God why he allows injustice towards the righteous to happen by with wicked. God responds to his question by telling him that in fact he will punish the wickedness of Judah by sending the Babylonians to destroy them. Habakkuk questions God’s justice again, perplexed at how God could use a people more wicked than Judah to judge them. God’s reply: well, Babylon is going to get it too. Justice will prevail against wickedness. The way to life is through faith. Which has always been so, for them as it is for us.
God answers the questions of Habakkuk. The sweet thing is to see his character, in listening to God, choosing to trust in the Lord’s word, and not continue to put God on trial.
How do we respond when we have questions of God? Do we submit or hold on to our pride? Habakkuk reminds himself of what he knows of the character of God. He is the unchanging one, and we are the ones who need to come in line with him, not he with us.
I want to be like Habakkuk when I have questions, to have soft heart, to trust in him even though I don’t know the outcome, to rejoice in the God of my salvation even though the circumstances of life are really hard.