The world never seems to change.  The world is constantly changing.

The earth wobbles on its axis, elliptically circumnavigating a sun plagued with spots in an ever-expanding universe as planned by God (or some Intelligent Designer) with a sense of humor.  Playthings they are to Him (or ID)—who would create toys threatened by a black hole?  A dreidel spinning, a slinky springing down endless stairs, a Barbie doll in all its proclivities.  Is He (or ID) hiding in that darkness or is light so intense that we are blinded?  It’s nature in force of a planet in constant change.  He (or ID) included a two-legged, double-crossing, narcissistic varmint He named man (image of) and woman (after man) and chaos ensued. 

Habakkuk lamented: How long before you save us from the violence around us?  Why must I watch all this trouble and wrongdoing around me?  Why do you tolerate all this sin and sadness and injustice?  People are hurting and destroying each other everywhere.  I am surrounded by people who love to argue and get into angry quarrels.  The government is paralyzed, laws are twisted, and justice is turned upside down with bribes and tricks.  It seems that the wicked outnumber the righteous. 

That was 2600 years ago.  Nothing changes, watching the battles around us and within us repeating over and over. I lament, look at us biting each other, calling each other names, shutting out the din to our own agenda, our own “righteousness.”

Habakkuk was admonished for: Then the Lord replied: Just look at the nations and be amazed!  You will be astounded at what I am about to do! For I am going to do something in your own lifetime that you will have to believe.  

2600 years ago, chaos reigned and was there peace?  What occurred in Habakkuk’s lifetime that made him believe?  There is no further mention of his name, his experience, his belief.

How are we going to prepare for living in today’s culture?  A culture increasingly perverse, corrupted, sinking into the blackness of the abyss. 

Just look at the nations and be amazed!  Faith.  Have faith and hope.  Hope that we can, in Pastor Rick Warren’s words, “out-love, out-serve, out-forgive, out-class, outshine and outlast the world.”

Reference: Habakkuk 1:1-5