Living by Faith in Troubled Times: Lessons from Habakkuk
By Dr. Brandon Steenbock, Family Minister
Habakkuk 2:14 – For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
It seemed like things couldn’t get any worse. Political tensions were at an all-time high. The average everyday person had to deal with high taxes, unfair rules, and high prices on goods and services. The poor and needy were overlooked and ignored, if not exploited. And the ruling elites controlled information, religion, and wealth… and practically got away with murder. There was no such thing as justice.
And the prophet Habakkuk was fed up. He called out to God, “Do you see what’s happening down here? Why are you letting this happen? What are you going to do about it?”
He wasn’t ready for God’s answer. God told him, “I’m about to do something about it – I’m sending the Babylonians to deal with these wicked people.” God does not leave things unresolved forever. He does not ignore suffering. He does not let wickedness go unpunished.
Do you feel a little like Habakkuk? You see all the problems in our nation, and you’re wondering why God hasn’t intervened yet. But would you be ready for what God might do?
Habakkuk was not happy with God’s idea. He cried out again about the Babylonians: “God, don’t you know how bad those guys are? Don’t you realize how much destruction they leave in their wake? Are you really going to let them get away with that?”
God had yet another answer, another plan. Yes, he would bring in the Babylonians. And yes, he would let them wreak havoc. But also yes, he would have a consequence for them as well. God does not leave things unresolved forever. He does not ignore suffering. He does not let wickedness go unpunished.
But in the midst of all this, he tells Habakkuk what is really at the heart of everything: “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.”
Glory. In Hebrew, khavod. It carries the idea of weight, of heaviness. God’s glory is heavy – but in the best possible way. It is a thing of great substance. It presses down. It is too much for any person to carry. Like the waters that cover the sea, there is immense pressure and weight to it.
That glory cannot be separated from something God tells Habakkuk just a few verses earlier: “The righteous will live by faith” (Hab. 2:4).
To experience the weight of God’s glory is a terrifying thing if you stand against him. It will crush you. But for the one who lives by faith – for the one who trusts that God is good – his glory is solid. Reliable. Present. It does not shift with headlines or election cycles.
And you can trust that God is good.
Because far beyond the sins of Judah, far beyond the sins of our own nation, the sins of all humanity had to be dealt with. God’s crushing glory cannot abide sin. But rather than bring the full consequence of sin down on us, God brought it down on his own Son. “He was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53).
There, at the cross, we see the true weight of God’s glory. His heavy hand of justice did fall – but not on the guilty world. It fell on Jesus. Sin was not ignored. It was judged. Evil was not excused. It was punished. And mercy flowed from that judgment.
So now when you wonder, “Why isn’t he dealing with the things happening now?” remember this: God does not leave things unresolved forever. He does not ignore suffering. He does not let wickedness go unpunished. He has already shown you what he does with evil.
He is filling the earth with the knowledge of his glory. He has done it at the cross. He will do it fully on the last day.
Until then, like Habakkuk, you live by faith. You wait. And you trust that the weight of God’s glory is not against you – but for you.