“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.” (Habakkuk 2:1 ESV)
“Patience is a virtue” is a phrase most of us have heard or said countless times in our lives. It is a pithy reminder that waiting with contentment is morally good. Although this statement remains true, we live in a time in which almost anything is available immediately upon demand. From food delivery to streaming services, with a couple taps we have what we want virtually whenever we want it. While this trend is convenient, it produces more spiritual harm in the long run than good.
While patience is good, it is usually difficult. It becomes the most difficult when circumstances are the hardest. Waiting an additional five minutes for the bank teller to complete a transaction, while unpleasant, is easy to overlook. Waiting an additional five minutes to hear news from the doctor while a loved one is in emergency surgery is profoundly more difficult.
Habakkuk’s situation was truly dire. As we have already examined, he was facing brutal invasion and national captivity. Yet, as we consider his words, we find something supremely admirable—he displays a patience that puts us to shame.
He begins by saying, “I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower.” The language he uses is that of a military sentry. It is especially noteworthy that his patience is not idle; he is proactively patient. While he is waiting on the Lord, he does so in a markedly expectant manner. He is not reading a book and peeking out the window every once in a while. He is standing—denoting a position of attention—and continually looking out for signs of movement and activity.
This should challenge us in our attitude toward prayer. When we pray, does our “waiting” resemble standing in line at the grocery store? Are we distracted by the items on the impulse-buy shelves, shuffling our way along when we happen to notice the line moving? Are we scrolling through our phones or looking to see what interesting items other customers are buying? Or are we waiting like we wait for the delivery truck carrying the package scheduled to arrive today—when we keep checking our watches and looking out the window until it arrives? Both of these situations involve waiting, but the attitude of the one waiting could hardly be more different.
Habakkuk is “look[ing] out to see what [God] will say.” His eyes are peeled for the Lord to work because he knows that the Lord hears him. The way in which he waits speaks to his understanding of who God is and the nature of his faith. If we truly trust God, we will pray and wait as Habakkuk waited. He approaches the Lord, knowing that in his presence alone he will find the peace that surpasses knowledge.
As John Calvin explains, “the tower of which he speaks is patience arising from hope. If indeed we would struggle perseveringly to the last, and at length obtain the victory over all trials and conflicts, we must rise above the world.”
Waiting is a difficult, often exhausting endeavor. To deeply feel the passing of each second can leave us drained of energy and hope. Yet, as Isaiah reminds us, “they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength” (40:29). Patiently trusting the Lord to respond and work in his time is a spiritually invigorating exercise. Waiting is difficult, often painfully so, but as we wait, our faith is strengthened and our hearts enlivened. Habakkuk knew that as long as his thoughts remained mired in his circumstances, he would remain equally mired in confusion and discouragement. So he ascends to the watchtower to await a word from the Lord and finds that, in the process, his spirit is renewed, and his eyes are recalibrated to trust the Lord who alone sits enthroned in the heavens.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We often find ourselves in perplexing circumstances that require we trustingly wait on you. Teach us to be patient and to look expectantly for you to work.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for missionaries serving with Project Fit as they use gym ministry in Thailand to reach their community.
- Wednesday: Pray for the ministry of the Lomba Grande Retreat Center and Church Plant.
- Thursday: Pray for missionaries working in slum ministry in South Asia.
- Friday: Pray for missionaries renovating rental housing in Togo.
- Saturday: Pray for Chad and Rachel Strong and their ministry with Protege in Nicaragua.
- Sunday: Pray for missionary pastors as they deliver sermons and shepherd their congregations.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries serving in communications and media.
