Habakkuk #2—God’s Enemies

Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days that you would not believe if it were told. For behold, I am raising up the enemy. Habakkuk 1:5–6

Faith bars the door to cynicism. It stands at the entrance to our souls and protects us from the frustrated hopelessness that makes us want to throw in the towel as we throw up our hands in exasperated resignation. Faith’s power to ward off attacks on our joy comes from its comprehension of the bigger picture that God has been creating. Faith sees beyond the narrow confines of our own limited perception. It perceives events from God’s perspective, sensing that nothing is out of his control, that he is weaving a beautiful tapestry. National, corporate, and personal enemies are some of the dark colored threads God weaves through our lives, thorns in our flesh (as it were) to keep us from exalting ourselves. We don’t enjoy the dark strands by themselves, but they are necessary. Without them we would neither see nor appreciate the fullness of the glory of God. Where would be the wonder, the amazement, at his ability to orchestrate life to accomplish many purposes at once? Where would we find the motivation to pray for a mighty deliverance? Faith’s view of the big picture gives us the perspective we need as we live moment by moment tangled in the minutia of the individual threads. When God is involved, good things come to those who trust.

Almighty God, uncertainty unnerves me. Grant me the wonder of faith as I trust you to plan your work and to work your plan. Amen.