Fear, Freedom, and Future

Habakkuk 1:1-5

1 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.

2 O LORD, how long shall I cry for help

and you will not hear?

Or cry to you "Violence!"

And you will not save? 

3 Why do you make me see iniquity,

and why do you idly look at wrong?

Destruction and violence are before me;

strife and contention arise. 

4 So the law is paralyzed,

and justice never goes forth.

For the wicked surround the righteous;

so justice goes forth perverted. 

5 "Look among the nations, and see;

wonder and be astounded.

For I am doing a work in your days

that you would not believe if told. 

Since the beginning of the founding of our nation, God has clearly been at work in this great land. From the Pilgrims to the Constitution, to the great godly men and women that have made this country a true City Shinning on a Hill. God has used this free society and raised up a remnant to take the Gospel forth all over the world. His great love has used America and Americans to carry His good news around the globe. We know this to be true, but we do not know that the next phase has to be the same freedom that we have enjoyed in the past. The purposes for our freedom have been from His sovereign hand. His ways are not our ways. Habakkuk in this passage honestly thought that He knew the will of God. He, being a righteous man, looked around at the violence, the apathy of his people, the perverted justice, and the lack of freedom for God’s people. There is nothing new under the sun.
Being followers of Jesus and knowing right from wrong, sometimes we can look around at the exact same happenings in our country and think that God has forgotten us, or has somehow gotten off of His throne and justice has been thrown out the window. We are uncomfortable, so we tell ourselves that we deserve the freedom that has preceded us, God raised up this country for His great and marvelous purposes, and He will restore, otherwise, my freedom will slowly be eroded; my lifestyle will not be what it has been and what I have gotten accustomed to. We are arrogant peoples, and we live among arrogant people. Habakkuk thought he knew the will of God, but….God tells him in verse five, look around Habakkuk, I am working and I am working out all things for the good of my remnant people and those that have yet to come to me.  A friend reminded me yesterday that God is concerned, intent, devoted, committed to, and more interested in His Glory than I am.  And His Glory is what we will see.