Active Waiting

Habakkuk 2:1-8

Habakkuk is a minor prophet who was on the scene right before God's people were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. His call was to minister to and herald God's truth to a bunch of hard-hearted hearers in Judah. He saw injustice at every turn and his numbers in ministry were not very impressive. More people were rebelling than repenting. That made me evaluate what really is important in living the Christian life. I am convinced more and more that it is about changed lives and minute-by-minute obedience, not impressive images or statistics. Henry Blackaby said that we are going to have a hard time having revival until we "get over our egos and our logos." I think I can learn something from Habakkuk and Henry. 

Habakkuk poured out all his problems to God and the key to his spiritual rest is found in 2:1, "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint." 

Habakkuk didn't just walk away and expect God to never answer all his heart problems like I do so many times. He determined to do whatever it took to plant his feet and listen. He was resolute to wait on God's answer.  According to Oswald Chambers, waiting means standing under, active strength, enduring till the answer comes. Habakkuk 2:1 is our charge to wait on God’s answer. This type of waiting is a process. To think we learn to wait in prayer by sitting in a pew or even by just knowing the truth is ridiculous! It is when we surrender and decide to take action. Look at all the action words in 2:1: -Stand - Station - Watch - Wait- are all action words to apply to our personal prayer life. It is saying, “I am going forward God’s way no matter how hard it is or how long it takes!” 

God responds in Habakkuk 2:2-4 with a charge for the prophet to write down His words and wait for His faithfulness. “Though it linger, wait for it…” (Hab. 2:3) Oswald Chambers said, “The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped….If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing; if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of relaxation spiritually (My Utmost for His Highest, May 2nd).” When we don’t think we need God so much, think we have Him figured out, or we just quit waiting on Him and start moving in our own strength, we are at great risk. Mark Buchanan calls this kind of complacency “Borderland Living.” We just stand on the border of letting God be in control. We stand on the border of letting God use us. We stand on the border of letting God use our trials to mold us and make us and we stand on the border and choose instant relief over real faith. When we choose borderland, we have no identity, no real home, and no real life. We exist instead of live. 

In Habakkuk 2:4-8, there is a comparison between two categories. The verse says, “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright (category 1), but the righteous will live by his faith" (category 2).

Category 1 would be the prideful (Babylon, Judah)

Category 2 would be the righteous (Habakkuk)

Habakkuk 2:4-8 from the message says the prideful(Babylon) are bloated by self-importance, soul empty, deceived by riches, always hungry for more wealth, dead corpses, extortionists, plunderers, and murderers.

We are saved by faith, we walk by faith and we live by faith. Anything else is a sad existence. “The just shall live by faith,” is first seen here in Habakkuk, but is the foundation of the whole Word of God. It is quoted in Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, and Heb. 10:38. In Romans the emphasis is on salvation by faith, in Galatians, the emphasis is on faith that sanctifies, and in Hebrews, the emphasis is on living by faith. We are going to focus on the living. 

Look at Heb. 11 and think about how that should impact our faith. This living occurs as we walk through the narrow gate mentioned in Matthew 7:13-14. You see the understanding of our faith is narrow as it starts, but as we take each step of faith, the road widens and our adventure becomes life abundant. Not life perfect and happy, but a life full and satisfying. On the other hand, the person that swings through the wide gate of self-assurance and pride starts on a wide road with many companions but ends with a narrow funnel that leads to death and separation from God. The just will live by faith. Don’t miss the power and don’t miss out on living! 

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom 10:17). Habakkuk still had questions and was still confused, but he made a decision to hear what God said and stand in faith. 

Application Questions:

• Are you still reaching out to God?
• Are you standing and waiting for God’s Words or are you just looking for quick relief? 
• Do you believe God intends for you to live and not just exist? 
• Are you living or are you just standing on the border of borderland afraid to let go and let God?
• What would it take for you to go/live/walk/believe/pray and wait by faith? 
• Take a minute to review the list of all your questions to God from the first week of Bible study as you close in prayer,. Silently pray over your list and then take time to pray together.