Faithful Lament: Trusting God Amidst Injustice

Devotional

Day 1: Pray First—Turning to God Before Acting

A life of faith begins with a posture of prayer, seeking God’s guidance before making plans or taking action. When we face uncertainty or overwhelming circumstances, our first response should be to turn our eyes to God, just as King Jehoshaphat did when he was surrounded by enemies. This posture is not about prayer being a last resort, but about recognizing that seeking God is the best thing we can do. In every situation—whether in need, confusion, or gratitude—let prayer be your starting point, trusting that God hears and responds to those who seek Him. [26:55]

2 Chronicles 20:12 (ESV)
“O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

Reflection: What is one situation you’re facing today where you feel powerless or uncertain? Will you pause and pray first, asking God for guidance before you act?

Day 2: Lament—Honest Faith in the Midst of Pain

Lament is the honest cry of someone who is hurting and choosing to talk to God about it, expressing doubts, fears, and questions rather than hiding them. When life feels out of control and God seems silent, lament is not the opposite of faith but what faith looks like when it goes through the fire. Like Habakkuk, you can bring your raw emotions and confusion to God, trusting that He is big enough to handle your questions and pain. This kind of honest engagement with God deepens your relationship with Him and anchors your soul in His presence, even when answers are slow in coming. [43:19]

Habakkuk 1:2-4 (ESV)
“O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.”

Reflection: What pain, doubt, or question are you carrying today that you’ve been hesitant to bring to God? Will you choose to honestly talk to Him about it, trusting that He welcomes your lament?

Day 3: Grounding Faith in God’s Character

When God’s answers are unexpected or even troubling, anchor your faith in who God has always been—eternal, holy, and your rock—before bringing your questions and complaints. Habakkuk models this by first declaring God’s unchanging nature before voicing his protest, showing us that remembering God’s character gives us stability in the midst of chaos. In times of confusion, choose to recall God’s faithfulness, holiness, and steadfast love, letting these truths steady your heart as you wrestle with what you don’t understand. [42:21]

Habakkuk 1:12 (ESV)
“Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.”

Reflection: When you face circumstances that don’t make sense, what attribute of God do you need to remember and cling to today? How can you ground your faith in His character before bringing your questions?

Day 4: God’s Justice Is Impartial—No One Is Righteous

Before a holy God, no one is righteous—not even those who seem better than others—and God’s justice does not play favorites or grade on a curve. Like Habakkuk, we may be tempted to compare ourselves to others and justify our actions, but Scripture reminds us that all have sinned and fall short. Yet, this hard truth also means that all are candidates for God’s grace, and what He desires is repentance, faith, and surrender. Instead of boasting or despairing, humbly acknowledge your need for God’s mercy and turn to Him with a surrendered heart. [53:06]

Romans 3:10-12 (ESV)
“As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’”

Reflection: In what ways have you compared yourself to others to feel better about your own shortcomings? Will you lay aside comparison and humbly receive God’s grace for yourself today?

Day 5: Waiting in Faith—Trusting God’s Timing

Faith is not just about asking questions but also about being willing to wait for God’s answer, trusting that He is still present and working even when everything seems out of control. Like Habakkuk, who climbed the watchtower to wait for God’s response, you are invited to press into your relationship with God and wait with hope, believing that He sees the bigger picture and will make all things right in His time. In Christ, we have the assurance that God’s justice and mercy meet at the cross, and we can wait with confidence, knowing we are loved, forgiven, and secure. [56:23]

Habakkuk 2:1 (ESV)
“I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.”

Reflection: Where in your life do you need to stop striving for answers and instead wait in faith for God to speak or act? What would it look like for you to “climb the watchtower” and trust Him today?

Sermon Summary

In the story of Habakkuk, we encounter a prophet who is deeply troubled by the injustice and violence among God’s people. He cries out to God, asking why He seems silent in the face of such evil. God’s response is unexpected: He is already at work, raising up the Chaldeans (Babylonians)—a nation even more ruthless—to bring judgment on Judah. This answer is not what Habakkuk hoped for, and it raises even more questions for him. Yet, before voicing his protest, Habakkuk grounds himself in the unchanging character of God: His holiness, eternality, and faithfulness. He models for us a faith that is honest about pain and confusion, yet anchored in who God is.

Lament, as seen in Habakkuk, is not the opposite of faith but rather faith expressed in the midst of suffering and uncertainty. It is the honest cry of a hurting person who chooses to talk to God about their pain. Habakkuk’s questions are bold and direct, but his posture is one of turning toward God, not away from Him. He refuses to let go of his relationship with God, even when God’s ways seem incomprehensible. This distinction between bitter cynicism and believing confrontation is crucial: one turns away in disbelief, the other presses in, refusing to deny God even when answers are elusive.

Habakkuk’s struggle also exposes the futility of comparative righteousness. He tries to argue that Judah is not as bad as the Chaldeans, but before a holy God, no one is righteous. God’s justice is impartial; all fall short. Yet, this hard truth is met with the hope of God’s mercy. While Habakkuk waits in the tension between justice and mercy, we have the fuller picture: in Jesus, God’s justice and mercy meet. Christ bore the judgment we all deserve, offering forgiveness and hope to all who trust in Him.

When life is confusing, and God seems silent or His answers are not what we want, we are invited to lament honestly, ground ourselves in God’s character, and wait in faith. We can bring our questions and burdens to Jesus, knowing He is not indifferent to our pain. In Him, we find rest, hope, and the assurance that one day all will be made right.

Key Takeaways

1. Lament is an act of faith, not doubt. Bringing our honest questions, pain, and confusion to God is a sign of trust, not weakness. Like Habakkuk, we can cry out to God without fear of rejection, knowing He welcomes our lament and meets us in our vulnerability. [43:19]
2. Grounding ourselves in God’s unchanging character is essential when life doesn’t make sense. Before voicing his protest, Habakkuk remembers that God is eternal, holy, and his rock. This anchoring allows us to face uncertainty with hope, trusting God’s nature even when His actions are mysterious. [42:21]
3. Comparative righteousness is futile before a holy God. Habakkuk tries to argue that Judah is less wicked than the Chaldeans, but God’s justice is impartial—none are righteous on their own. This humbling truth levels the playing field and makes us all candidates for God’s grace. [51:09]
4. Faith is not just about asking questions, but about waiting for God’s answer. Habakkuk models a posture of patient, expectant waiting—climbing the watchtower and refusing to walk away, even when God’s response is hard to accept. True faith surrenders control and waits on God’s timing and wisdom. [54:04]
5. In Christ, God’s justice and mercy meet perfectly. While Habakkuk waited in the tension, we know the full story: Jesus bore the judgment we deserve, offering forgiveness and hope. When we bring our lament to Jesus, we find a Savior who understands our pain and promises ultimate restoration. [58:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[20:39] - Worship Through Giving
[22:00] - Dismissal and Fellowship
[24:44] - Announcements and Prayer Posture
[26:55] - The Story of Jehoshaphat and Praying First
[30:31] - Introduction to Habakkuk and Lament
[32:38] - Preparing Our Hearts for God’s Word
[34:10] - God’s Surprising Response: The Chaldeans
[37:34] - Who Are the Chaldeans?
[40:08] - The Nature of the Chaldeans
[41:38] - Habakkuk’s Response: Grounded in God’s Character
[43:19] - Lament as Faith Through the Fire
[45:24] - The Posture of Honest Lament
[47:48] - Wrestling with God’s Justice
[51:09] - The Futility of Comparative Righteousness
[54:04] - Waiting on God in Faith
[56:57] - The Full Story: Jesus, Justice, and Mercy
[59:56] - Living with Hope and Honest Faith
[62:14] - Reflection and Prayer
[66:27] - Final Blessing and Invitation to Lament

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Habakkuk 1:5–2:1 — (You may want to read the whole passage together as a group.)

Observation Questions

What was Habakkuk’s main complaint to God about the people of Judah? ([30:31])
How did God respond to Habakkuk’s cry for help, and why was this response surprising? ([34:10])
Before voicing his protest, what truths about God did Habakkuk remind himself of? ([42:21])
What did Habakkuk do after he brought his questions and complaints to God? ([54:04])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God chose to use the Chaldeans (Babylonians), who were even more wicked than Judah, as instruments of judgment? What does this say about God’s ways versus our expectations? ([34:10])
The sermon said that lament is not the opposite of faith, but faith through the fire. How does Habakkuk’s example challenge our usual ideas about what it means to have faith? ([43:19])
Habakkuk tried to argue that Judah was not as bad as the Chaldeans. What does God’s impartial justice teach us about comparing ourselves to others? ([51:09])
What does it look like to “wait on God” when His answers are confusing or hard to accept? How is this different from giving up or walking away? ([54:04])

Application Questions

When was the last time you felt like God was silent or His answer wasn’t what you wanted? How did you respond—did you turn toward God with your questions, or away from Him? ([43:19])
The sermon talked about grounding ourselves in God’s unchanging character when life doesn’t make sense. What is one truth about God’s character that you need to hold onto right now? How can you remind yourself of it this week? ([42:21])
Have you ever found yourself comparing your “righteousness” to someone else’s, like Habakkuk did? How does remembering that “none are righteous” change the way you see yourself and others? ([51:09])
Lament was described as “the honest cry of someone who is hurting and choosing to talk to God about it.” Is there a pain, question, or burden you’ve been holding back from God? What would it look like to bring it to Him honestly in prayer? ([43:19])
Habakkuk chose to wait and watch for God’s answer, even when he didn’t like what he heard. Is there an area of your life where you need to practice patient, expectant waiting on God? What would that look like for you? ([54:04])
The sermon said that in Jesus, God’s justice and mercy meet perfectly. How does knowing the full story of the cross give you hope when you’re wrestling with hard questions or suffering? ([58:26])
Who in your life might need you to pray for them or help carry their burdens right now? How can you support them this week, following Habakkuk’s example of honest faith and intercession? ([01:02:14])

Sermon Clips

There's always been this important distinction between bitter cynicism and believing confrontation. One is a denial that refuses to believe. The other is a belief that refuses to deny. One makes assertions and will not stay for an answer. The other makes assertions and will not move until there is an answer. [00:46:17] (25 seconds)

Comparative righteousness doesn't work before a holy God. God doesn't grade on a curve. He's not impressed by our relative righteousness, by the fact that I just did better than the person over here. There is no one righteous, not one, before a holy God. [00:52:32] (24 seconds)

If there are none righteous, then that means we're all candidates for God's grace. And that is good. I mean, we're all in the same boat. There is not one righteous. No, not one. But we are all candidates for God's grace. God's justice is impartial, but so is his mercy. [00:53:06] (20 seconds)

The truth is, none of us are righteous. We all fall before a holy God. Not Judah, not Babylon, not me, not you. None of us are. If God's justice were the only word, all would fall. But that's not the whole story. The full story is the cross. God's ultimate answer is Jesus. [00:57:29] (26 seconds)

``In Christ, God didn't just send judgment on evil. He absorbed it onto himself. He didn't just respond to injustice. He suffered it on the cross for us. In Jesus, the judgment of God and the mercy of God meet together in one person. [00:58:05] (20 seconds)

The righteous ones stood in place of the unrighteous. So now when we face chaos and confusion of life, when we have questions and fears and doubts, when God's ways seem strange to us because we don't see the bigger picture, we can't see past what is in front of us, and God sees it all, and we don't understand what he's doing or why he would do X, Y, Z. We don't stand condemned. We stand forgiven, loved, and secure because of Jesus. [00:59:08] (36 seconds)

We know the beginning from the end that Jesus is victorious, and there is hope in him, and that despite the fact that there are many things in life that make no sense, that make us want to shake our fist in the air at God and say, why? Answer me. Why would you allow this to happen? Why would you do X, Y, Z, God? We know that in the end, when Jesus comes again, that all will be made right. That is the hope that we have in him. [00:59:56] (39 seconds)

We can look to Jesus who proves that God is not silent. He's not indifferent to our pain and that his justice and mercy meet us at the cross. Like today, whatever you're carrying, grief, questions, confusion, maybe you're not carrying something personally, but you know somebody who's going through the fire, who's struggling and wrestling, who has fears and doubts. Bring it to God. [01:01:29] (31 seconds)

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