Habakkuk: A 7-Day Devotional on Ruthless TrustSample

Habakkuk's Ruthless Trust: When God Does the Unbelievable

Habakkuk 1:5-11

Written by Anna Woerner

When Hard Times Come

Have you ever been discouraged, frustrated, and maybe even confused about what God allows in your life? If you’re reading this, there is no doubt the answer is a resounding yes. Maybe your health or finances (or both) have taken another hit. Perhaps you’ve experienced the sudden loss of a job, a heartbreaking move, or a rift in a friendship that has left you discombobulated, disoriented, and distracted. Whatever the case, we all have found ourselves in situations so far beyond our control that we become paralyzed and focus more on what we can’t do and less on what God can do. These are times we need ruthless trust.

Rebellion Against God

For completely different reasons, Habakkuk found himself in a relatable situation. The first four verses of chapter one record his desperate plea to God for Judah’s wickedness to end through God’s intervention. As a prophet, he knew their rebellious hearts and vile actions were abhorrent to God and the law He had given them. Habakkuk wasn’t expecting God’s solution for their actions and hardened hearts.

God's Shocking Solution

Verse five begins with what sounds like a promising solution to Judah’s wickedness— perhaps a new approach? It was certainly different, but God’s response seems to make a bad situation only worse! Solving a lawless and violent nation’s rebellion with an even more lawless and violent nation overtaking it seems counterproductive, yet God’s plan is perfect. While God’s proclamation shocked Habakkuk, a ruthless trust that God would use this wicked nation for His divine purposes was necessary for Habakkuk to find rest despite the tumult in Judah.

Sitting in the Difficulty

Our passage today doesn’t yet reveal Habakkuk’s response, instead allowing us to sit on the difficult words God has bestowed on him regarding Judah. At times, we may find ourselves in this same awkward silence with the Lord. He may allow yet another blow to come our way, and we waver between “my will” and “Thy will.” To ruthlessly trust God is to deny ourselves a false sense of security, but this doesn’t come easily. It necessitates a daily death to ourselves so that we may truly live for Him and rest in Him.

Now What?

When life happens, what is your immediate response? Is it peace or panic, trust or tumult? Consider why you respond the way you do to plans gone awry (for better or worse), and write out your reasons. Are they based in faith or your own efforts? Ask why you think that is, and continue to ask the Lord to humble you to avoid any further sense of self-centeredness.