And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time;it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:2-3
Waiting has to be one of the hardest things that humans have to endure at times and waiting on an answer from God seems to be the hardest of all. Even the prophets of old asked God the same questions we still ask Him today – Why, When, Are you there God? The prophet Habakkuk was frustrated with having to wait on an answer from God. Habakkuk questions God because of all the evil and injustice in the world. He is seeing the leaders of Judah oppressing the poor. God tells him that he will send Babylon to judge the leaders. Then Habakkuk questions Him because God is sending Babylon to judge the leaders and Babylon is a very evil nation – worse than the leaders they are coming to judge! How could God use a nation worse that the leaders to come and bring judgement on them? Habakkuk wanted God to bring judgement on the Babylonians too. Instead they were coming to judge Israel and Habakkuk was basically saying – What about them God? How is this right? God made the promise to Habakkuk that they would be judged in Histime. God’s answer to Habakkuk was the same one we often get from Him: wait.
God responds to Habakkuk by first telling him to take notes. Write it down. Possibly God wanted Habakkuk to write it down because it was a promise from Him and we tend to quickly forget the promises of God, especially if we are waiting to see them fulfilled. Perhaps the biggest reason God wanted Habakkuk to write it down was so it would benefit others – in the future. So that when they are still waiting, they know what He has promised and that it will happen in His timing. Here are some other important points we can learn from God’s answer to Habakkuk:
There is an appointed time– For still the vision awaits its appointed time…God has an appointed time for everything in our lives and in the course of history. He is completely in control and nothing happens until the time that He has decided. We have a hard time with this. We think that ourappointed time should be His appointed time. He doesn’t work that way. He has been working His purposes throughout history and is still working them today. There is a reason for every moment He has planned, and sometimes the moments spent waiting are the most important. He has a specific purpose for your waiting.
God’s plan and purpose will happen no matter what- it will not lie… It doesn’t get cancelled or derailed by weak humans. It is happening but according to God’s timing. It will not fail but prevail.
Don’t wallow while you wait - If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay… WORK while you wait. It may seem like a delay to us but to God, it is part of the plan! We see our circumstances based on our expectations, but God doesn’t run the world based on our expectations. That is what we don’t understand sometimes. He works according to His will and not our will. So while you wait, pray about what He is doing. Get to work on what you can control. Pray, read your Bible, and find a mentor or an accountability partner to help you during this time.
When, God, are you going to answer my prayer? No matter what season of waiting you are in, His message to Habakkuk still applies. God is in control. He has an appointed time for everything – including the answers you are seeking. Pray and look inward to see just what He wants you to learn from this time – and write it down like Habakkuk did. Most importantly, TRUST GOD. Trust in His timing, trust in His power, and trust in His promises, and when you feel stuck waiting on God’s promises to come true, remember –
IF IT SEEMS SLOW, WAIT FOR IT; IT WILL SURELY COME; IT WILL NOT DELAY.
