But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him. Habakkuk 2:20 In the fictional book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, written by C.S. Lewis, a prophecy is made about the coming of a lion named Aslan to the land of Narnia: "Wrong will be made right, when Aslan comes in sight,At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more, When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again." In this inspiring novel, readers learn that the land of Narnia is trapped in perpetual winter. The only hope is the coming of Aslan, a lion who is prophesied to come and bring spring to Narnia again. C.S. Lewis wrote this book to be a picture of the Christian faith. Aslan represents Jesus, and perpetual winter represents the curse of sin in the world. Like the prophecy of the coming of Aslan, God made a similar declaration to the prophet Habakkuk that one day "wrong [would] be made right." At the beginning of Habakkuk, the prophet laments all the sin and injustice he sees in the world. He is restless, experiencing no peace. God answers all of His questions, reminding him that He is still in control. God says, "I am on the throne; let all the earth be silent." In the end, He will right every wrong. Injustice will be restored, and wickedness will be punished. This is, however, not going to be immediate. He will have to wait. In the same way, you may, like Habakkuk, be restless. Perhaps you are weary of seeing someone mistreated. Maybe a loved one is extremely sick, and you are begging for healing. Perhaps you have begged the Lord for a child, and His answer is "wait." If you are in a season of restlessness waiting, remember that God is still reigning and one day "wrong will be made right." Heartache is everywhere around us. Sickness and death occur; people are treated unfairly; natural disasters occur; sin appears to go unpunished. We may be tempted to throw our hands up in the air and say, "It's not fair!" Instead of restlessness, we have this hopeful expectation that God is on the move. The perpetual winter of our sin and pain will one day be over. Because of this, we, like Habakkuk, can have hope, even in the bleakest situation.
God is not silent when we see injustice or heartache. In fact, He wants to use us to be a part of the process of restoration. What injustice or heartache can you be a part of restoring? Perhaps you can give a meal to someone in need, donate classroom supplies that will help needy students, or sit with someone in the hospital to provide hope and encouragement. Choose one thing to do this week to fight against injustice and heartache today. Your small act will be one step toward redemption and a reminder that one day "wrong will be made right."
Read Habakkuk 2:6-20 (NLT)
“But soon their captives will taunt them. They will mock them, saying,‘What sorrow awaits you thieves! Now you will get what you deserve!You’ve become rich by extortion, but how much longer can this go on?’Suddenly, your debtors will take action. They will turn on you and take all you have, while you stand trembling and helpless.Because you have plundered many nations, now all the survivors will plunder you.You committed murder throughout the countryside and filled the towns with violence.
“What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly!You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger.But by the murders you committed, you have shamed your name and forfeited your lives.The very stones in the walls cry out against you, and the beams in the ceilings echo the complaint.
“What sorrow awaits you who build cities with money gained through murder and corruption!Has not the Lord of Heaven’s Armies promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes?They work so hard, but all in vain!For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.
“What sorrow awaits you who make your neighbors drunk! You force your cup on them so you can gloat over their shameful nakedness.But soon it will be your turn to be disgraced. Come, drink and be exposed!Drink from the cup of the Lord’s judgment, and all your glory will be turned to shame.You cut down the forests of Lebanon. Now you will be cut down.You destroyed the wild animals, so now their terror will be yours.You committed murder throughout the countryside and filled the towns with violence.
“What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you?How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk!What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, ‘Wake up and save us!’To speechless stone images you say, ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do?They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside.But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.”
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