God, Are You Good? | Family Devotional | Constant Source Weekly
This year we are publishing the main section of a current issue of Constant Source Weekly to our blog each month. Each blog entry will include the main commentary for that week’s issue, questions to help you reflect and internalize the lesson, and connection points to help you engage with your family in conversations about the things you are learning about God. It is our hope that this would be a year where more families around the world prioritize seeking Christ together and would exhibit His life and love to those around them. If you want to take a look at last month’s issue, check out our post entitled Godly Generosity.
Read Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
(Every Constant Source Weekly is inspired by four pieces of Scripture from all different parts of the Bible. One of those texts becomes the main foundation for the lesson and is interwoven throughout. Start by reading the text linked above.)
Commentary
(Every Scripture reading is paired with a commentary section that explains the core themes of the passage, discusses the way the reading informs our faith, and helps interconnect all parts of the Bible. Read that next below.)
Have you ever looked around at all the brokenness and violence in the world and wondered how God could possibly be good if God’s creation acts the way it does? I know I have and if you have, we aren’t the first to ask questions like these, and unfortunately we will probably not be the last. In fact, these are the kind of questions that that Habakkuk is asking. Habakkuk is a unique prophetic voice amongst the others prophetic voices of the Old Testament because, unlike the ways that many of the other prophets delivered their messages from God to the people of Israel, Habakkuk simply cries out to God in lament expecting God to answer his questions. As we see throughout this short book, God does answer him. The book of Habakkuk boldly voices many of the hard questions that we often find on our lips, but can’t bring ourselves to ask. It encourages us to remember what God has done throughout time and challenges us to find hope and comfort in God’s faithfulness. Let’s take a deeper look.
Habakkuk starts off in chapter 1 by crying out to God because when he looks at Israel, his people and also God’s people, all he sees is violence, abuse of power, injustice, and idolatry. In crying out to God, he boldly asks, “Are you even listening? Are you even there?” We must not rush by this cry of desperation and lament. The very fact that it was recorded and included in our Holy Scriptures should bring us hope. Doubt and questioning God are often shied away from in Christian culture, but that’s not the example that has been set for us. From the questions of Habakkuk in chapter 1 to Jesus’s recitation of Psalm 22:1 on the cross––“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”––the Bible reminds us time and time again that God can handle our questions and doubt and longs to meet us in these vulnerable and intimate places.
In fact, as we see in Habakkuk chapter 2, God shows up and invites Habakkuk to take a seat and start chiseling notes. In the last three verses of our reading, God assures Habakkuk that a plan for justice is in place and that he will have to watch and see how it plays out. Ultimately, our reading concludes with the first line of wisdom that God gives to Habakkuk in light of his questions. Verse four promises that a time will come when the righteous will stand apart from the proud and unjust, that they will be known for their faith and they will be inspired by the Holy Spirit. As the rest of chapter 2 unfolds, God names a long list of actions that God identifies as unjust and wrong, as if to say, “I see them too, Habakkuk, and I am listening.” Then God concludes by reminding Habakkuk that the one who created all of this is still on the throne. In other words, “I’ve got this!”
What we don't see in our reading is Habakkuk’s response to God’s declaration. Chapter 3 is a long-form prayer that has been alluded to and used in many ways throughout the centuries by Christians as a common prayer of lament. In the prayer, Habakkuk asks that the work of the Lord would be revived now, in his generation, and that God’s deserved wrath would ultimately lead to mercy. The middle of Habakkuk’s prayer artistically describes the way that God’s wrath comes to fruition in all parts of creation, destroying the wicked and striking awe into all who witness God’s power. Habakkuk finishes his prayer by saying that even though he doesn’t see the fruit of the Lord’s labors at this moment, he has no doubt that God’s salvation is coming and that God’s strength will bolster God’s followers. In short, Habakkuk’s conclusion is simply that though he may not understand the way that God is at work in this very moment, he can make the choice to trust that God is at work even if he can’t guess the outcome.
From our modern-day perspective, we can see that unfortunately there is still plenty of brokenness in the world, but we also have the privilege of knowing that God sent Jesus to carry out the promise of healing that brokenness and even now continues on in that work through us in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Overall, Habakkuk plays an extremely important role within our scriptures because it teaches us that it is okay to look around and ask the hard questions of God. It encourages us to lament that which is broken in the same way that God does, and it challenges us to trust God even when the method doesn’t make sense and the outcome can’t be seen.
Reflection
(The reflection section provides prompts to help you think through what God is teaching you and how it applies to the world around you. Take 3-5 minutes to ponder and respond to each question below. We recommend keeping a journal to write in, so that you can revisit it later.)
How does Habakkuk’s story resonate with you? What value do you think these three quick chapters toward the end of the Old Testament add to the Bible as a whole?
When was the last time you heard about or witnessed something terrible happen in the world that made you question God’s goodness?
Was doubt and questioning of God welcome in your home growing up? What do you implicitly or explicitly communicate to your kids about doubt?
Connection
(This section provides tools and starting points to discuss what you’ve learned and processed through above with your family.)
Pray: “Lord God, help us to not be afraid to do as Habakkuk did and bring our questions, frustrations, and doubts to you. Help us to count on you and trust that even when we don’t understand the brokenness of the world, you are redeeming creation and drawing it ever closer to yourself. We love you, Lord. Amen.”
Share: Take some time to share Habakkuk’s story with your family. Tell them that Habakkuk was discouraged by the bad things he saw happening around him and he asked God a very bold question: “Are you good?” God assured him that if he trusted in God, Habakkuk would come to see how good God really is. Share some of the questions that you have asked about God and how God has shown you the answers.
Wonder: Ask your kids what kind of things they notice are wrong with the world. Make a list and pray over those things together, asking God to keep on making the world a better place.
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