Living In A Time of God’s Judgment

Commentary

Habakkuk lived during the time of Judah’s rebellion toward God and likely wrote his book between 610-605 BC. He was living through corruption, violence, and all sorts of wickedness among his people.

Habakkuk called out to God, asking Him why He doesn’t listen to his cries and why he must witness such things. Habakkuk questioned what God was doing. Like Habakkuk, we find ourselves, as followers of Jesus, in a similar situation in the West. We’re witnessing atrocious behavior out in the open, political corruption at the highest levels, and evil sweeping our lands. We might find ourselves asking God, “why aren’t You doing something?”.

Habakkuk was hoping for a revival of his people back to God, but in this case, God had other plans. Many of us now are hoping and praying for some kind of revival in America, Europe, Canada, Australia, and so on, but only time will tell what God’s plan is.

Commentary

God is sovereign and has everything under His control, even when things are really bad. When a nation is under God’s judgment, it’s given leaders who are unstable, incapable, and wicked. They produce instability in that nation, enact wicked laws, pervert justice, and grieve the people whom they govern.

Like in the time of Habakkuk, we too are living through this situation today. The wicked have infiltrated the most important facets of society and culture. From schools to tech companies, media, and government. So much has become perverted as a result.

The fact is, the organized church is a mess, government is a mess, and culture is a mess. We hope for revival, but like in Habakkuk’s day, that time may have already passed by. Regardless, we must always remember that our hope and joy come 100% from the Lord and that He is always in control.

Commentary

Living through a time when your nation seems to be in God’s judgment is not easy. Even the most devout follower of Christ has their days of weariness. As I write this, many, if not all, the nations of this earth are experiencing incredibly uncomfortable to extremely difficult times. War, rumors of war, food scarcity, toxic chemical exposure, extreme weather, earthquakes, and so much violence and hatred toward one another.

While the world cries out in confusion and fear, the culture is collapsing, economies are on the verge of collapse, we should not be lost in fear and confusion, but rejoicing in the Lord always. He has blessed you and me with so much, kept us from dangers we never knew about, and is with us as we face the uncertainty to come. As Habakkuk says, ”yet I will celebrate in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!”

Commentary

The Lord replied to Habakkuk’s cries, letting him know that He was sending the Chaldeans (Babylon) to judge Judah.

As an American, I look at my country and see only a faint shadow of what it once was. A post-COVID-19 lockdown poll (March 2023) from George Barna shows that only 4% of Americans have a Biblical worldview, 2 percentage points less than the poll from 2020. America, along with the West in general, is now looking to be very much lost, not unlike Israel and Judah of their day.

As God did to Israel and Judah, He too could send our enemies to destroy us, as His agents of judgment, or He might be ready to judge the entire earth. I don’t know. But one thing I do know is that the end is coming at some point, and I don’t think it’s far off, given all the signs. We could see small revivals in pockets of believers and many more unbelievers coming to faith, and I hope that is the case.

Regardless of what events will take place in the coming days, weeks, months, and years, this world, as a whole, will only continue to move itself further away from Jesus until He returns. Now is the time to make sure you’re walking in faith, turning back to your first love of Jesus, and sharing the hope that is in you with everyone.

Commentary

No matter how weary you might be, how much you might be struggling, or how weak you might be. Know that Jesus has not left you or abandoned you. In Him is everything that you need to keep moving forward for Him. Like the deer, whose feet Jesus made to be able to scale hills and the cliff faces of mountains, He equips you for every good work. In Him is your sustenance, your hope, and your joy.

What we’re experiencing in the world today is likely now the “new normal”. It’s God turning nations over to His judgment, whether immediate and focused on individual nations or upon the entire Earth, as the Bible describes the Tribulation period. Don’t fear, don’t worry, but let the Lord Jesus be your everything in this time when the world is becoming nothing.