Focus

Slow your breathing and become aware of the taking in and letting out of your breath. Focus on putting things aside so you will be open to what God is saying to you today.

Read

Habakkuk 1:2-4 (NRSV)

O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not listen?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
and you will not save?
Why do you make me see wrongdoing
and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
So the law becomes slack
and justice never prevails.
The wicked surround the righteous—
therefore judgment comes forth perverted.

Reflect

Sometimes I seem to have more questions than answers. There are so many things that I do not understand about what God either perfectly wills or permissively allows. There are some things that are especially troubling. It’s confusing to continue praying and receive no answer, not the answer we expect. Could God be just tuning us out? Is God giving us the “cold shoulder”? Is God just ignoring us? If so, why?

We see wrongdoing, violence, destruction, strife, contention, and wickedness—and it never seems to end. As a matter of fact, how can a good God even observe these things and not act to defend and deliver those who are part of the heavenly family? What do we do in the meantime, while nothing changes?

Good news! God is still in charge. God is at work. God’s timing is just not our timing. God’s ways are just not our ways. God may not work things out when we want, but God is always on time. Thanks be unto God for the gift of faith to keep on keeping on, when we don’t understand and even when we misunderstand. God reigns.

Pray

O Lord our God, we have been praying about the same situation for so very long. Forgive us for our impatience. Have mercy upon us for the times that we think we see clearly only to discover that we see dimly. Thank you, O God, for your patience with my impatience. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Go with God.