When it seems like life just isn’t worth it

Last week I shared some thoughts to ponder from Habakkuk. So when it seems like life just isn’t worth it how are we able to live a victorious life in a world of sin?

Well, to begin with, the way from fear is faith. I believe that Habakkuk is a special word, providing a unique insight into God. How He works in the life His people. There is a plan for our lives and God knows that plan.

There are probably times in your life when you wake up in the morning like you did today. You are not really prepared to face the day. You have doubts, fears, and concerns, which seem to be overwhelming at that moment. You may have even thought that life just isn’t worth it. There is no real reason to even get up. Listen, Habakkuk had serious doubts about the fairness and reasoning of God. Let's be honest we can all say Amen to that thought.

In Habakkuk's day, there would soon come to a fierce pagan nation. They would haul away God’s people as if they were nothing more than cattle. How could this be the action of a loving God?

We might think that when it seems like life just isn’t worth it, concluding that God has

abandoned fairness, that God has endorsed evil and we may demand an answer yet

have to wait.

Had God abandoned fairness?

Habakkuk 1:12-13

12 Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.

13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil d cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

Habakkuk shows faith in this 12th verse when he states that “we shall not die”. In these words, he is acknowledging, to his credit, that God, not man, controls destiny.

However, there is a very interesting question that comes from verse 13. Why would God look with favor on those who deal treacherously to allow them to dominate the people of God?

Today, we would hear this expressed maybe this way: why does my lost neighbor prosper while I struggle? Consider this if wealth and health were guaranteed, the element of sacrifice would be removed from the cross.

Habakkuk was perplexed at how God was choosing to deal with Judah. This is because he had an exalted conception of God. God was holy, just, righteous. Habakkuk felt that God was too holy to use evil to correct the evil. This was a burdened man of the finest faith. Such questions never arise from men of meager faith. The convictions which Habakkuk had led to painful questioning. This is not raving unbelief, this is a burdened believer.

Remember, all faith has to face difficulties. So you may conclude that God has abandoned fairness and then assume that God has endorsed evil.

Habakkuk 1:13-17

13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil d cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

14 You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.

15 He[a] brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad.

16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.

17 Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?

Habakkuk has concluded that God is permitting evil. In these verses there are 3 complaints which Habakkuk emphatically states:

Verse 13-that God has lowered His standards

Verse 14-that God has allowed His people to be treated unfairly

Verse 17-that God has provided evil to be unrestricted

God was still at work however for Habakkuk the lingering question arises again, should a loving God tolerate evil? Should He allow His people to suffer as a consequence?

We may conclude that God has abandoned fairness and may assume that God has endorsed evil and then we may demand an answer yet have to wait.

Habakkuk 2:1

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

There is an apparent nervousness in Habakkuk. He is assuring the Lord that he will wait on an answer, an answer to the dilemma. He uses the description of a military guard. He is saying that he will listen for God's direction, will hold a position of attention in the preparation of hearing from God.

A delay from God is not a denial and before God speaks, Habakkuk is seeking God. We know that God’s word tells us that His ways are not our ways. He is God, and He is too Holy not to do right. His time is not our time, His love is unchangeable

Waiting on God is not always easy. We become tired, anxious, fatigued. How interesting to note that while we are at this point, God is still at work.

So when it seems like life just isn’t worth it remember you may conclude that God has abandoned fairness, that God has endorsed evil, even demand an answer yet have to wait. Wait for Him, which is what Habakkuk was doing.

A thought to ponder,

Elbert Nasworthy