Title: What's Up Lord? / Topic: Prayer

Today’s Reading: Habakkuk 1; Habakkuk 2; Habakkuk 3; John 8

Scripture: Habakkuk 1:2-4
2 How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?
3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

Observation: This prayer to the Lord is called Habakkuk's Complaint. He lets God know exactly what he's thinking with all the raw emotion that he feels. Habakkuk doesn't try to "pretty" up his language or make it sound more holy. He respects God but he doesn't understand why God is allowing injustice to go on and good people to suffer. He questions God and even sounds like he's accusing God of not caring about doing right.

Application: I'm so glad this is in the Bible. God responds to Habakkuk with a good answer and doesn't punish him for his honest questioning. This demonstrates two things: 1) We can be totally honest with God in prayer. We can bring to Him our raw emotions and questions without fear of reprisal. 2) God is secure and unthreatened by any questions we have. This knowledge should embolden us to come to God at all times; in confusion or hurt and anger as well as in times of gratitude and joy. He desires our fellowship at all times. It is He who desires to help us process our emotions and to teach us truth and give us a proper perspective on things. He can't do that if we try to process through everything before we come to Him. So let us approach His throne of grace with boldness, knowing that He will receive us and give us grace and help in our times of need.

Prayer: Father, I thank you for being so approachable. You aren't far off and You allow us to come to You with anything that's on our hearts. Lead us into all truth as we seek Your face. I love You Lord. You've been my Rock through all my very difficult times. Thank You for loving me and letting me "vent" with You when there are things I don't understand. I couldn't live my life without You. I love You so much, dear, dear Lord.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.