The book of Habakkuk is not very readable; less popular. Some even assume that Habakkuk is a soft drink. Habakkuk is all about faith. There are only three chapters of Habakkuk. These three represent the three stages of spiritual growth.
Table of Content:
- Stage of Doubt
- Stage of Silence
-whisper or silence
- Stage Confidence
Stage of Doubt
Because of what was happening around him, Habakkuk could not help but ask. He asked difficult questions. And what he is asking is God Himself.
Says 1: 3-4,
“Why are you showing me so much chaos and evil?
Destruction and violence take place in the midst of it;
violence and fighting are rampant.
The law is void and of no benefit,
and justice does not exist.
In court, the wicked always defeat the innocent,
That is why justice is perverted. "
Do you notice, it seems like the current of the Philippines? Violence, wickedness, and poverty are also prevalent among us. Conflict and contention are also rampant. Congressmen and Senators, always arguing. The administration and the opposition, always quarreling. Justice is elusive. Righteousness is perverted, who is right and true, he is often wronged, and wrong reigns. Like Habakkuk, we may also ask: If the Philippines is truly God's people, why is the country suffering? Does God still care about the Philippines?
I'm sure you also have many questions: "My neighbor, cheater; I'm honest, but he's even better than me?" "I'm already serving, but why is it that trials come to me?" If you have doubts in your heart, do not be afraid. You will not be sentenced to death. Like Habakkuk, do not be afraid to ask God or hesitate to bring your questions and doubts to Him. Questioning is a sign of progress. Like kids, when they ask that question, they want to understand things.
The Lord is so good. He loves us, so whenever we doubt, He works to calm our doubts, and replace them with faith.
Stage of Silence
During our questioning, we need to be silent to hear what God is saying. God speaks in two ways: in a whisper and silence. God rarely cried out. Unlike us, when we have something we want to prove, we raise our voices, we shout. Sometimes, even with God, we can do that, crying out to God in prayer.
Let’s talk about whispering. What you are just whispering is close to you. You don’t whisper to someone you don’t know.
You also can't whisper to someone you're not next to. That is, whispering is evidence of a close relationship with one another. So is God. He speaks to us in a whisper. His voice is soft, whispering, so we need to stop, be still, and listen.
Let's look at the Prophet Elijah. It is written in 1 Kings 19: 11b-12, "Then the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind blew, and the mountain shook, and the rocks rent asunder, but the LORD was not in the wind. there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the lightning, he heard a still small voice. "
The harder it is to hear what God is saying when He whispers, the harder it is to hear Him be silent. When God is silent, it does not mean that He is not telling us anything.
Silence is a very powerful language. And that is what God often uses. When God is silent and does not seem to hear our prayers, He wants us to feel His love that no word or sound can describe. When God is silent, He also wants us to be silent so we can understand what He is saying. When Habakkuk was silent, he heard God's answer to his questions: First, there must be an end to wickedness, violence, poverty, and injustice. God is in total control. We just have to trust that God knows what He is doing. Second, we must be patient in waiting for God to act. We've got to believe that God's timing is always perfect. He is never late nor advanced.
Stage of Confidence
This is the most relaxed of spiritual growth. It starts with skepticism but must end with confidence. Habakkuk was silent and listened until he regained his confidence. Like Habakkuk, the following will happen to us:
First, we will be filled with wonder at what God is doing. Instead of being bored, complaining, and sighing, a spirit of praise, gratitude, and admiration for God's goodness will prevail over us. Even our faces will change. The formerly unpaintable and frowning face will be clear. Even our faces will change. The formerly unpaintable and frowning face will be clear. We will be beautiful men and beautiful women.
Second, we will remain peaceful and happy despite poverty
Habakkuk 3: 17-18 says,
"Although the fig tree does not bear fruit
neither shall the vine yield her fruit,
even delayed olive fruiting
and there is no harvest in the fields,
even if all the sheep die
and the cattle disappear from the stall,
I will still rejoice and be glad,
for the LORD is the God of my salvation. "
This is called joy and not happiness. Happiness is based on happenings. You are happy because of external circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is internal; based on the relationship with Jesus.
Third, we can learn to be patient and wait upon the Lord. Habakkuk says in 3:16, "I will quietly wait for the time ...," At first, Habakkuk was very stressed, complain here, complain there, moan here, moan there, the question here, a question there, punch here, blow there. But now, Habakkuk is cool, a picture of peace and contentment, because he has learned to trust the Lord completely.
Guide:
Examine yourself.
Where are you in these three stages? In case you are not yet in the third, seek help and advice from your pastor or any spiritual mentor or conduct a personal retreat.
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