Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. Habakkuk 1:3-4
Likewise today, there’s a lot of injustice in the world. I see poor people not paid fairly, refugees are denied justice and the greedy pervert justice. I see governments treating their citizens badly, decisions are based on expediency, and those without a voice are disadvantaged.
In the book of Habakkuk, I find two lessons. One is that Habakkuk didn’t fix the problem. He went to God. Second, although God said he would fix things, it wasn’t in the way Habakkuk wanted.
I cannot fix all the injustices I see but I can go to God. I’m not called to fix every problem, meet every need or carry every burden. However I’m called to fulfil the ministry God has given me and I’m called to play my part even if my part seems small and insignificant—a few prayers, a donation, sign a petition, buy fair trade products. I can’t do everything but I can do something and the little things are important.
Furthermore, I can trust that God will fix injustice on his terms, according to his timetable and not mine. God told Habakkuk that he was going to use the Babylonians to discipline his people. This seems rather strange as the Babylonians were more wicked than the Israelites. Nevertheless, God involved a pagan nation because he had a long-term plan in mind. Often we look for quick fixes whereas God has the eternal in mind.
God loves justice and will bring it about in his time.
