“The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. How long, O LORD, will I call for help, and You will not hear? I cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ Yet You do not save. Why do You make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; strife exists and contention arises. Therefore the law is ignored and justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out perverted” (Hab 1:1–4).
The inspired message of the book of Habakkuk is both “taught” and “caught.” To unpack its meaning, we must not only discern the content of the “oracle which Habakkuk saw” (1:1), but also follow the prophet’s personal journey from disbelief (Hab 1:2–4, 12–17; 2:1) to a prayer of unwavering faith in the goodness and promises of God (3:1–19).
Biblical faith deals with doubts rather than denying them.
One key that unlocks the secret of Habakkuk’s own triumph is an ancient form of prayer called a “lament.” A lament is the Bible’s sanctioned and acceptable way of expressing one’s deepest doubts about the character of God, particularly with respect to His yet-to-be-fulfilled promises. Although a lament is a form of complaining, it is a way to complain to God, not about God, and its structure is intentionally designed to conclude with confessions of faith in God’s goodness (see Hab 3:17–19). To pray a lament, therefore, a person must first decide to pour out his or her heart honestly before God, to wrestle with Him, and to persist until there is renewed confidence in God’s goodness and in His ultimate victory.
Do we want to be people who live by faith (Hab 2:4)? As surprising as it may sound, the first step in the right direction is to express openly and honestly our deepest doubts about God’s love, goodness, faithfulness, and even His existence, directly to God Himself. Biblical faith deals with doubts rather than denying them.
“Abram said, ‘O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir’” (Gen 15:2–3).
