Habakkak's Lament
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Two women embrace during the community vigil for the victims of the Buffalo NY shooting – NBC News
INVOCATION
Speak Lord, speak to me.
HABAKKAK’S LAMENT
from Habakkak 1:2-4 – The Voice
How long must I cry, O Eternal One, and get no answer from You?
Even when I yell to You, “Violence is all around!”
You do nothing to save those in distress.
Why do You force me to see these atrocities?
Why do You make me watch such wickedness?
Disaster and violence, conflict and controversy are raging all around me.
Your law is powerless to stop this; injustice prevails.
The depraved surround the innocent, and justice is perverted.
GOD’S WORD OF HOPE FOR HABAKKAK
from Habakkak 1:5 The Voice; Habakkak 2:2-4 – God’s Word
Look around at the nations; look and be amazed!
For I am doing something in your own day,
something you wouldn’t believe
even if someone told you about it…
Write the vision.
Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly.
The vision will still happen at the appointed time.
It hurries toward its goal.
It won’t be a lie.
If it’s delayed, wait for it.
It will certainly happen.
It won’t be late.
BENEDICTION
May our lament be as passionate and direct as Habakkak’s lament and may God’s word of hope for Habakkak become our hope.
Amen.
Some days I feel that it’s almost impossible for me to still have hope for humanity. Thank you for this reminder that’s it’s okay to sometimes feel hopeless and cry out “How long Lord!?”
It seems like I/we go from lament to lament. How long, O Lord? Thank you for this reminder that there is hope in our lament.