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JUSTICE AT THE WATCH-POST
SCRIPTURE: HABAKKUK 1:1-15

REFLECTION
Justice is the ideal of fairness and impartiality. Someone is just when he/she is basically concerned with two things – being right and being fair. Our God always acts justly. Justice is a natural expression of His Holiness.

Habakkuk was a prophet who struggled with questions about evil in the world and why a just God would permit it. His three big questions could be rephrased as: “Does God care? Is God fair? Is God there?” People still ask the same questions today.

Habakkuk 1:1 begins: “The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.” An “oracle” is another word for prophecy. The word also conveys the idea of a burden, because it carries a warning or a rebuke for the hearers.

In verses 2-4, Habakkuk brings his complaint before the Lord. And in verses 5-11 God graciously answers Habakkuk’s complaint. Once again, if we were to sum up Habakkuk’s complaint in these verses, it all comes down to the single question, “Does God care?” This is a question and a feeling that all of us at one point in our lives or the other, ask ourselves. Why do we sometimes feel that God doesn’t care?

1. Sometimes because we do not receive answers to our prayers right away. Habakkuk cried out to God: “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” (Habakkuk 1:2a) Apparently, Habakkuk had been praying to God for quite some time, but he did not see any answer coming. He began to wonder if God was even listening.
   Do you ever wonder if God is listening when you pray? Have you ever prayed for something and then when the answer didn’t come, you questioned whether God even heard you at all? When God does not answer our prayers right away, we sometimes think that God does not care.
   
2. Another reason we sometimes think God does not care is when we are in trouble, and God does not deliver us right away. “How long, O Lord, must I … cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save?” (Habakkuk 1:2b) The word translated “violence” here also carries the ideas of cruelty and injustice.
   Have you ever prayed a “how long” prayer? “How long, O Lord, until I finally find a job? How long until I get married? How long until I bear a child? How long until I get my healing? How long until this burden is lifted from me?” We go through many troubles in this life. And when we are in trouble and God does not deliver us right away, we sometimes think that God does not care.

God is a God of Justice and He cares
So, how do we know God does care? What about when we pray, and we don’t see God’s answer right away? What about when we are in trouble, and God does not deliver us right away? In those situations, it really could look like the just God doesn’t care. But of course, looks can be deceiving. In verses 5-11 God responds to Habakkuk’s complaint. And in answering Habakkuk’s questions, God shows Habakkuk – and he shows us – that yes, he does notice; yes, he is concerned; yes, God does care.

CONCLUSION
In moments when we don’t understand Gods ways, we need to trust His unchanging character. That’s exactly what Habakkuk did. He believed that God is a God of justice, mercy and truth. (Ps. 89:14). In the process, he learned to look at his circumstances from the framework of God’s character instead of looking at God’s character from the context of his own circumstances. He concluded, “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights” (Hab. 3:19).

PRAYER
Lord, it is easy to let our circumstances change how we understand You and Your Justice. Help us to remember that You are good, faithful and just, even though we can’t see everything and may not understand how you are working in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Rev. D.N.A. Affram