Are you waiting for God to do something in your life? Scripture is full of God's promises. We read and hear them, and sometimes wonder, "How long do I have to wait, God, for you to act?" I encourage you to read the book of Habakkuk this Lenten season. The prophet asks that very question. The answer he gets is not what anyone wants to hear.
God's answer (Habakkuk 1:5-6) is that life-changing work is already being done, but that change will come through unexpected means and with much hardship. I've received that unsatisfying answer myself, more than once. And my response was much like the prophet's. "Why? Why do you allow pain and suffering, even if it brings about good, instead of just squashing it?"
God's reply (Habakkuk 2:2-4) rests in the fact that God's vision is vastly more far-reaching than mine. That can be a hard word to hear when you're in the midst of suffering. When your loved one is struggling with a fatal or chronic illness, when you've lost a job that gave meaning to your life, when your home is destroyed, even when you're met with a new opportunity but are not sure if it's the right one, you want to hear God's voice and know God has things under control. But fully hearing the words God has for us can sometimes happen only in conversation.
As you struggle with something, try sitting God down in a chair in front of you. Pace the room and speak aloud your fear, anger, or grief. When you confront God, you are met with a strength of love, power, and salvation that is more than worthy of a faith to live by and rejoice in, just as Habakkuk recognizes.
