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Where is GOD When Evil is Everywhere?
(Habakkuk 1:1-11)
Yearly Theme: “Kindness is… Action”
Series Title: “In the Meantime”
May 7th, 2023

Something to think about:

Where is GOD when life doesn’t make sense? Where is GOD when everything in life seems to be going wrong?

In an article from October 2005 in the Toronto Star, a convicted murderer in Romania sued God for his troubled life.

“The man, identified as Pavel M., filed a suit in which he requested ‘legal action against God, resident in Heaven, and represented here by the Romanian Orthodox Church, for committing the following crimes: cheating, concealment, abuse against people's interest, taking bribes, and traffic of influence.’

“In the lawsuit, Pavel also noted that ‘God even claimed and received from me various goods and prayers in exchange for forgiveness and the promise that I would be rid of problems and have a better life.’ According to the news report, none of the ‘good’ things God claimed actually happened, and, thus, the plaintiff found himself in the devil's hands.

“Pavel's complaint was forwarded to the prosecutor's office but was eventually dropped because the defendant, God, was not an individual or corporation, and therefore not subject to a civil court's jurisdiction.”[1]

Have you ever wanted to blame GOD for the problems in life? Have you ever doubted the existence of GOD in light of all of the evil and chaos in the world? Has there ever been a moment when you became frustrated with GOD because it seems that “bad” people around you seem to prosper while you suffer?

In the Old Testament there is a very short book named Habakkuk, written by a man of the same name. In the short three chapters that comprise this book, Habakkuk questions GOD with the same argument and question that we do today: “Where is GOD when evil seems to be everywhere?”

Let’s take a look at Habakkuk’s cry for answers, and GOD’s response:


[1] Source: "Prisoner Sues God," Toronto Star. Submitted by Bill White, Paramount, California.

Here’s the takeaway:

Key Point: "God is always at work, even thought we don't see it."

In order to flesh out our key point today, we need to take a deeper/closer look at Habakkuk’s plea and GOD’s response:

Something to take home:

So, when we, like Habakkuk, ask the same questions that he did of GOD, we must always remember that GOD is always at work even when we don’t see it. And in addition to this, even when we don’t understand His methods or His ways of dealing with things, we can trust that:

Romans 8:28 (NLT), … God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Key Point: "God is always at work, even when we don't see it."

Do you think Habakkuk is being prideful in his questioning of God? Do you think He should remain quiet? Do you think man should ever question God? Support your answer.

What are some things you see in this world which confuse you? When you have doubts or are confused about your experiences, or struggle in circumstances, how do you deal with it before God?

What lessons can you see in this passage about prayer and our relationship with God? Try to list as many different lessons as you can find from the passage. What are the most important points for you to learn for your own prayer life?

Have you ever seen people “get a taste of their own medicine” or “fall into their own traps”? How did that make you feel? Did you ever take it as a warning for yourself?

What idols do people worship today? In what ways are they powerless and foolish compared to God? What sins of this nation are deplorable to you? What "woes" might Habakkuk pronounce on our culture today?

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