28 Days of Gratitude: Day 2
Missed Day 1? Click here to read it.
Scripture of the Day: “How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” (Habakkuk 1:2a)
Today’s complaint comes from the prophet Habakkuk who delivered messages to Judah during the final days of the Assyrian Empire and at the beginning of the Babylonian invasion. Although he was anointed and powerfully used by God, he complained that the Lord was taking too long to answer him. Habakkuk said that God wasn’t listening, which isn’t true. 1 Peter 3:12 tells us God is always attentive to the prayers of the righteous.
HABAKKUK GOT CARRIED AWAY
It’s safe to say Habakkuk got carried away and went on an emotional rant when he told God, I cry out to you, but you won’t save. He was clearly under stress. It looked like Israel’s enemies were winning, and all he saw around him was violence, injustice, and cruelty. To Habakkuk, life seemed unfair in that moment. He genuinely wanted to know, why hadn’t God intervened already? Why was the Lord silent? Why was God even letting this happen? It didn’t seem right!
We love to quote Habakkuk 2:2-3, where God responds, “Write the vision and make it plain,” and also, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie.” We get happy about God’s promise of manifestation, but that didn’t change the fact that Habakkuk had to wait for his “appointed time.” And he didn’t know when that was, just as we do not know.
STRUGGLING EMOTIONALLY IS NORMAL
It is quite normal to struggle emotionally during silent seasons, when you don’t know what God is doing. We all like fast resolutions, and we want to see a clear picture. However, this is not realistic, so we have to closely examine our behaviors and attitudes as we wait for God to reveal His will to us. We must be intentional about not complaining, because our feelings will tell us to do otherwise.
Think about yourself. How do you handle waiting periods and times of uncertainty? Do you get agitated when God doesn’t let you in on the details of His plan? Do you get impatient when He seems to be moving too slow? When you think things aren’t fair, do you complain or get upset?
DON’T LET YOUR FEELINGS LEAD YOU
As emotionally unsettling as waiting, struggling, and not knowing may be, we all deal with this—even prophets of God. No one fully knows the will of God. That’s why you can’t let your feelings lead you, or you will embrace a false narrative that says: God doesn’t hear me; I am just drifting aimlessly through life; and the enemy will win. That’s a trio of lies told by unstable emotions.
Habakkuk eventually adjusted his attitude. In Habakkuk 3:18, he declared, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” But he only said that after God responded to him.
IT’S A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE
Let’s pay attention to Habakkuk’s attitude prior to God’s response. Before God spoke, Habakkuk accused Him of not listening and not saving Israel. After God spoke, Habakkuk called Him a savior. The Lord was always a savior, even when He was silent. God did not change. The only thing different was Habakkuk’s perspective.
What is yours?
YOUR JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT
In your journal today, write down:
One time God answered your prayer and proved that He heard you.
One way God has been good to you during an uncertain time.
One way God came through for you when you didn’t see a way.
What God has done for you today.
What your favorite gratitude verse is and why.
Now, let’s pray.
Prayer of Gratitude: God, even in times when I don’t know what You are doing, thank You for taking care of me and always looking out for me. I know that waiting seasons are opportunities for You to develop my faith and character. In every season, make me more grateful that You are faithful and can always be trusted. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
What Is the 28 Days of Gratitude Series Based On?
This gratitude series is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT, which says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
In my time spent with the Lord, He dealt with me about how we have a tendency to focus on our issues, problems, challenges, and difficulties, but we are not necessarily intentional about focusing on His goodness. Failing to meditate on His works forces us into a cycle of complaining and blinds us to the amazing ways He reveals Himself on a daily basis. In all circumstances, let us be more grateful.
What do I need to participate?
To participate in this series, you will need a notebook and a journal, because it requires writing some things down. In whatever journal you choose—and it doesn’t need to be anything fancy—daily, you will write down the Scripture of the day.
The featured verse will highlight a complaint from the Bible to help you see that, throughout history, others have struggled just as you do. Yet, God desires that we be grateful. In your journal, I would ask that you write the verse you see featured on the Daily Cup blog each morning, then jot down 5 things for which you are grateful.
5 is the number of grace, so you will be focusing on the grace of God and how His mercy has been evident in your life, even during rough times. At the end of each post, 5 suggested thing to write about are listed.
