Habakkuk: Trusting God when His Ways Don’t Make Sense
Devotions this week based on The Prophets Week 7 – Habakkuk (WATCH HERE)
After hearing God’s shocking plan to use Babylon to punish Judah, Habakkuk is stunned. His mind reels with questions: How can a holy God use an unholy nation to discipline His people? “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do You tolerate the treacherous?” (1:13). Habakkuk believes in God’s justice, but using wicked Babylon seems incompatible with His character.
Have you ever been there? You know God is good, but His plan feels wrong. You trust Him, but your heart aches under the weight of His silence or events that don’t make sense. Habakkuk stands between belief and bewilderment.
Habakkuk takes his stand on the watchtower (2:1). He waits, not in anger but in expectation: “I will look to see what He will say to me.” This is faith in practice. Habakkuk brings questions to God, then waits for His answer. Like the psalmist in Psalm 130:5, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.”
God answers, not by explaining every detail, but by revealing a truth that will shape the course of salvation history: “The righteous will live by his faith.” (2:4). It’s not the strong, clever, or successful who survive; it’s those who trust in God’s promises. This verse becomes the heartbeat of the gospel. Paul quotes it in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11 to proclaim that salvation is by faith alone, not by works. The writer of Hebrews echoes it in Hebrews 10:38 as a call to persevere amid persecution.
In contrast to the righteous, the proud, “his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him” (2:4a). The Babylonians are the epitome of pride: powerful, violent, and self-sufficient. Yet pride is not limited to empires. It dwells in every heart that says, “I can handle life on my own.” Faith, by contrast, looks upward and says, “My help comes from the Lord” (Psalm 121:2).
Faith doesn’t mean we understand everything God does. It means we trust His character when His actions are confusing. Abraham didn’t understand how God could promise descendants and then ask for Isaac’s life. But “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Faith means walking in trust before the evidence is clear.
When the Apostle Paul rediscovered this verse, it shattered the chains of guilt and fear that bound him. He realized righteousness is not earned — it’s received through faith in Christ. God’s justice that once terrified him became his comfort. Through Christ, the wrath that Habakkuk foresaw fell not on us, but on the Savior who bore our sin.
Faith is not passive; it’s a steady leaning into God’s promises when sight fails. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). The proud look inward and fall. The faithful look upward and live.
Apply: Faith means trusting that even when you cannot control your outcomes, God’s Word and promises remain true. Living by faith means choosing grace when the other fails, forgiveness when hurt, and prayer when you can’t fix everything. Faith means living counterculturally — not chasing pride, image, or control, but trusting that your identity in Christ defines you more than achievements ever could.
Prayer: Lord, You are holy and just, yet Your ways are often beyond our understanding. When we are confused, teach us to trust You more deeply. Help us to live by faith — not by what we see, but by who You are. When we stumble, remind us that our righteousness is found in Christ alone. Give us courage to wait on You, and peace to rest in Your promises. Amen.
Habakkuk: When God Seems Silent
Devotions this week based on The Prophets Week 7 – Habakkuk (WATCH HERE)
“How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” — Habakkuk 1:2
The opening of Habakkuk is startling in its honesty. Unlike other prophets who speak for God to the people, Habakkuk begins by speaking to God for the people. His heart cries out, “How long, Lord?” It’s the same plea found in the Psalms (Psalm 13:1; 74:10) and echoed by saints throughout history. Habakkuk is burdened not by doubt alone, but by deep faith that expects God to act.
He looks around and sees violence, injustice, and corruption among his own people. It’s not the world’s wickedness that troubles him most, but God’s apparent silence in the face of Judah’s moral decay. “Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?” (1:3). Habakkuk believes in God’s holiness and justice, but he can’t reconcile that belief with what he sees.
God’s answer, however, shocks him even more. “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe” (1:5). The answer? God is raising up the Babylonians, a ruthless, godless empire, to execute judgment on Judah. The prophet asked for justice; he received a judgment he didn’t expect. God’s plan seems worse than the problem.
This is often how faith feels in crisis. We pray for healing, and the sickness deepens. We pray for peace, and conflict intensifies. But God’s silence does not mean absence. His plan often stretches beyond our understanding. As Isaiah 55:8 reminds us, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” God’s perspective is eternal, and His justice unfolds on His perfect timetable.
In Job 23:8–10, Job laments that he cannot find God anywhere, but then declares, “When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Habakkuk must learn this same trust: that God is refining His people through the furnace of judgment, preparing a remnant purified by faith.
Even the most faithful struggle with divine silence. Think of Elijah in 1 Kings 19, hiding in the cave, asking to die because he cannot see God’s hand at work. Yet God was there in a whisper, not a windstorm. The same is true for Habakkuk. God’s silence is not indifference; it is often preparation.
Jesus Himself experienced this silence in Gethsemane and on the cross. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Yet from that silence came salvation. God was not absent in the darkness of Calvary—He was working redemption.
So when God seems silent in your life when injustice thrives, prayers seem unanswered, and faith feels futile remember Habakkuk’s first lesson: Faith waits honestly before God. Habakkuk doesn’t hide his frustration. He brings it to God directly. God welcomes that kind of raw, reverent honesty.
Ultimately, God’s silence invites trust, not despair. His delays are not denials; His purpose is redemption. Like Habakkuk, we can rest in this truth: God sees, God knows, and God acts—often in ways beyond what we imagine.
Apply: Where is God challenging you to trust, even though it seems he is remaining silent?
Prayer: Lord, You see the injustice, pain, and confusion in our world and in our hearts. When You seem silent, help us remember that You are never absent. Teach us to trust Your wisdom even when we cannot see Your hand. Give us patience to wait for Your justice and peace. Refine our faith as You did for Habakkuk, turning our confusion into confidence, our fear into faith. May we live with hope, knowing that Your plans are always good, Your timing always perfect, and Your promises always sure. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Nahum: The Lord restores what is ruined!
Devotions this week based on The Prophets Week 7 – Nahum (WATCH HERE)
Nahum 2 paints a vivid and unsettling picture of battle. Chariots race through the streets, shields gleam red, warriors charge, and the great city of Nineveh trembles. To those who first heard Nahum’s words, this was a prophecy of deliverance. For over a century, the Assyrian Empire had dominated the known world with cruelty and terror. They had crushed nations, taken people captive, and even humiliated God’s own people. The Israelites had watched in fear as Assyria rose to power and destroyed the Northern Kingdom. Judah had survived only by God’s mercy. Now, in Nahum’s vision, God was turning the tide. The same nation that once seemed invincible would fall. The destroyer would be destroyed. The oppressor would be overthrown.
This chapter is not just about military defeat. It is about divine justice and restoration. God is not a passive observer of evil. He is not indifferent to violence, arrogance, or oppression. Nahum describes a God who acts decisively to bring justice. “The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines” (Nahum 2:2). Those words are full of hope. God’s people had been crushed, but God would lift them up again. Their beauty, their peace, and their worship would be restored.
One could read Nahum and focus only on the destruction, but behind the judgment is the heartbeat of mercy. God’s justice is never cruel or random. His purpose is always redemptive. When He brings down the proud, it is to lift up the humble. When He tears down what is wicked, it is to make room for what is holy and whole. When He judges nations, it is to set captives free. God’s justice and mercy always work together. They are not opposites but two sides of His perfect character. (See yesterday’s devotion.)
We see this most clearly in Jesus Christ. On the cross, God’s justice and mercy meet. Sin is punished. The guilty are set free. The wrath that should have fallen on us falls on Jesus instead. The destroyer is defeated not by armies or chariots but by the sacrificial love of the Son of God. Through His death and resurrection, Christ restores what sin has ruined. He restores our relationship with God. He restores peace where there was rebellion, hope where there was despair, and purpose where there was shame.
Nahum 2 reminds us that God will not allow evil to have the final word. He is the Lord of history. Every empire that exalts itself against Him eventually falls. Every heart that resists Him is called to repentance, and every believer who trusts Him can rest in His protection. When you see injustice and corruption in the world, you can take comfort in knowing that God still reigns. He may seem silent at times, but He is never absent. His timing is perfect, His justice is certain, and His mercy is unrelenting.
For those who trust in Him, the promise of Nahum 2:2 still stands. God restores the splendor of His people. He rebuilds what was broken. He brings beauty out of ashes. Perhaps you have experienced the destructive power of sin or the pain of being wronged. Perhaps parts of your life feel ruined or wasted. God’s promise is that He can restore what has been broken. It may not happen overnight, and it may not look exactly as you imagined, but His restoration is deeper and stronger than what was destroyed.
The fall of Nineveh was a warning to the proud and a comfort to the faithful. It reminds us that God sees, God acts, and God saves. He will not let evil go unanswered, and He will not leave His people forgotten. In Christ, we see the fulfillment of Nahum’s vision. We see the God who fights for His people, defeats their enemies, and restores their splendor. When the world seems dark and uncertain, remember this truth: the Lord is not only the God who judges but also the God who restores. He can bring beauty from ruins and peace from chaos, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever.
Apply: Where is God working in your life today to restore what sin broke?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being a God of justice and mercy. Restore in me what sin has broken. Forgive me for the sins of pride that bring me down and increase in me a humble spirit that relies fully on you. AMEN.
Nahum: Good News on the Mountains!
Devotions this week based on The Prophets Week 7 – Nahum (WATCH HERE)
“Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!
Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows.
No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed.”
— Nahum 1:15 (NIV)
The book of Nahum opens with fierce declarations of God’s judgment against Nineveh, the capital of the brutal Assyrian Empire. Assyria was known for its cruelty and violence, and the people of Judah had suffered under its shadow for years. But in Nahum 1:15, the tone shifts dramatically. In the midst of judgment, there is a word of hope: a messenger is seen running across the mountains, shouting the good news that the enemy is defeated and peace has come. The people are now free to return to worship, to fulfill their vows to God, and to live without fear of invasion.
This verse echoes Isaiah 52:7, which celebrates the beauty of those who bring good news, who proclaim salvation. Paul later quotes this in Romans 10:15 to describe the preaching of the gospel—the ultimate message of peace through Jesus Christ. So, while Nahum spoke of a historical victory over Assyria, his words carry a deeper prophetic meaning: they point forward to the gospel of Christ, the truest and final good news.
For the people of Judah, the fall of Nineveh meant a return to normal life, to worship, to joy. But for us, this verse speaks to even greater spiritual truths. We may not be facing physical armies, but many of us know what it’s like to feel besieged by anxiety, fear, sin, or suffering. Nahum 1:15 reminds us that God does not leave His people under oppression forever. His justice may be slow in coming, but it is sure. When He acts, He brings both judgment on evil and peace to His people.
This verse also invites a response: “Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows.” In other words, don’t just receive the good news, live like it’s true. Return to worship. Remember the promises you made to God. Step out of survival mode and back into joyful worship. It’s easy to cry out to God when things are hard, but when deliverance comes, we sometimes forget to follow through. Nahum’s message is: Don’t forget. Worship the God who saved you.
This same message runs throughout the Bible. Isaiah 52 celebrates the good news of God’s reign. Romans 10 connects that good news to the saving work of Jesus. In Luke 4:18, Jesus proclaims freedom for the oppressed. And in Revelation 21:4, God promises a day when all pain and evil will be removed forever. Nahum’s mountain messenger is a foreshadowing of the ultimate good news: Jesus has conquered sin and death, and peace with God is now possible.
Let this be a day when you pause and remember: You are not under condemnation. You are not abandoned. You are not defeated. Through Christ, the enemy is overthrown, and peace is proclaimed. That’s good news!
Apply: Are you living like someone who has received good news? Are you walking in joy and worship, or still living as if you’re under siege? Have you made promises to God that need to be fulfilled now that He’s brought you through the storm? Nahum reminds us that God doesn’t just defeat evil, He restores His people and invites them into deeper relationship with Him.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for the good news of Your salvation. Thank You that You are just, and that You are near. Remind me today that I am free, not because of what I’ve done, but because of what You have done for me. Help me to live like someone who has heard good news: joyful, faithful, and at peace. Teach me to worship You in every season both in the battle and in the victory. Amen.
Nahum: How is the LORD just AND good?
Devotions this week based on The Prophets Week 7 – Nahum (WATCH HERE)
Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him, 8 but with an overwhelming flood
he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into darkness.
Justice and goodness are not opposites. In fact to be good, one must be just. Goodness and evil can’t stand as equals nor be tolerated as equals. For goodness to side with evil negates the reality of goodness and if evil is equated with goodness, there is no measure of evil.
That’s sounds pretty philosophical.
Perhaps. But the same God who is just is also good. How can this be?
The same God that punishes evil is the same God who is a refuge in times of trouble.
The same God that causes the wicked to flee is the same God who cares for those who trust in him.
So how are justice and goodness related?
By a standard.
If there is no agreed upon standard, then justice is relative to the subjective judgment of an individual AND goodness is relative to whatever an individual determines as good.
This is why these concepts are goofed up in our culture. When justice and goodness are subjective to the individual, there really is no justice and no real goodness…there is just opinion on what is just and opinion on what is good.
But when a clear standard is in play, justice and goodness stand in congruence.
Justice is carried out when the standard is broken. Goodness is experienced when the standard is kept.
God sets and is the standard.
When his standard is broken, such as with Nineveh, his justice must carry out punishment for the wrongdoing.
When his standard is kept, Nahum can write, “The LORD is good…”
Only when God is the standard can justice and goodness truly stand with each other.
But how is justice good?
Practically speaking, would you want to live in a neighborhood inhabited by convicted and repeat criminal offenders? If you knew a person or group of people would not be prosecuted for breaking the law, would you want to live in that community?
Justice must exist to protect the good.
Justice allows for the suppression of evil so the good might find security.
Justice is what allows the good to find refuge and safety.
So that is why those who trust in the LORD can find refuge in him at the same time the LORD makes an “end of Nineveh” and “pursues his foes into darkness.”
Justice must exist to protect the good. They are not mutually exclusive, but rather mutually necessary realities…perfectly exhibited in the LORD.
What does that mean for us?
We can find refuge in the LORD! Why? Because while the LORD recognizes sin in our behavior, he was willing to punish sin, not in us, but in his Son. The result is he continues to uphold his standard of perfection, while allowing the goodness of his grace to prevail on our behalf. As recipients of his grace and ones who trust in him, there is no question he protects us from evil with his justice and allows us to find refuge in him because of his goodness.
Apply: What do you believe is the relationship between justice and goodness? How does a congruence between these affect your belief and trust in the LORD?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being a God of justice and mercy. One who upholds perfect just and shows perfect goodness. Lead me to understand and appreciate both even as I live in the refuge you provide because you are just and good at the same time. AMEN.