On a clear day

So often, life is foggy and stormy and we can’t see very far. 

The cares of today and the worries about tomorrow mean that instead of being able to see forever, our eyes are downcast. We’ve stopped dreaming; we’ve stopped hoping. We’re just surviving. Sound familiar? It should, because that’s how most people live their lives, sad to say.

It’s so easy to look around at all the injustices. The problem is, we get a pretty distorted view of things from down here. We lose sight of the big picture. But when we actually listen to God, it’s as if we find ourselves on a mountain top on a clear day. We can suddenly see forever.

That’s what happened to the Old Testament prophet, Habakkuk. He cried out to God about all the bad stuff that he saw happening to God’s people – and God gave him an answer he didn’t want. Yet, rather than give up or turn away, Habakkuk vowed to keep waiting on God. 

And that’s when God told him two important things that you and I can learn a lot from.

First, God says, the proud won’t win. The proud, the powerful, the beautiful people, they always seem to be winning. But listen to what God says: “Their spirit is not right in them” (Habakkuk 2:4). On the outside, they might seem confident and successful and happy; but on the inside, they can’t lie straight in bed at night. That’s the truth. So which life would you rather have: the proud or the righteous?

Second, God says, wealth is treacherous. Wealth is fleeting. The wealthy do not endure. They never have enough. It all looks great but when a financial crisis hits, all those who appeared so successful come crashing down. Their greed will bring them undone. (Habakkuk 2:5 NRSV)

To Habakkuk, life seems unfair because the proud and the wealthy and the arrogant seem to be winning. That’s his complaint to God. But God calls it the way it really is. 

In the long run, those who seem to be winning will lose. 

In the meantime, God says to Habakkuk and you and me, let your faith in Me be steadfast, rock-solid. In your thoughts and deeds, and your actions and dreams, be steadfast because that’s actually what’s going to give you life today, tomorrow and for all eternity. 

On a clear day, you can see forever.

LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS

• Habakkuk comes to a turning point (Habakkuk 2:1–5) where he decides to wait on God for His answers. Have you reached that turning point in the challenges that you’re facing in your life?
• What do you think of God’s answers to Habakkuk’s complaint (Habakkuk 2:6–20)? Why do you think they satisfy Habakkuk? Why do you think Habakkuk reacts the way that he does?
• Would God’s same answers in your own situation have the same impact on your heart?  
• Do you ever look at the powerful and wealthy, the famous or the popular, and wish you were more like them? After today’s message, do you still feel the same way? What’s God saying to you?