Habakkuk 2:1 (NKJV)
I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.
When we read this in the book of Habakkuk, its context shows that the prophet Habakkuk was complaining before the Lord about the spiritual condition of Judah. In chapter 1, He accused God of not hearing him when he prayed and not doing something about Judah's state of spiritual poverty. Sin was running rampant throughout the nation and injustice from the upper ranks of the social ladder all the way to the bottom.
We can see that God answers him twice in chapters 1 to 2, revealing to him the plans he had for Judah, the judgment that was to fall on them in the form of the Babylonians, and what He was going to do to them.
I was encouraged when I read it as I saw in Habakkuk a man who was bewildered by what he saw before him and just asked God straight from his heart. No masks, no airs to be put on. Just straight honest questions from the heart. And God was MORE than gracious to answer him.
This is where Habakkuk declared in Chapter 2 verse 1 that he would watch to see what God's reply was, and to accept whatever correction was necessary.
Throughout the Bible, we can see examples of people who found themselves in situations that were beyond their understanding and they cried out to God, open as they are. We have examples ranging from the prophet Elijah who cried out to God "I'm the only prophet left" ( 1 Kings 19:10) to Gideon who asked "where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about" (Judges 6:13). To the religious, this would seem to be irreverent questions to ask of God. But for every question or complaint that these people in the Bible had, God always had an answer for them. And His answer always addressed their circumstances and revealed His plan and purpose for that situation.
The prophet Jeremiah gave what I consider to be a useful principle of prayer in Lamentations:
Lamentations 2:19(a)
Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord.
Too many times when were asked how we are, we weakly answer "Doing fine, praise the Lord" and any other answer that we feel is necessary as we're 'faith people, Word people' when in reality we're hurting inside, bewildered by what we see around us. When we come to God, He's asking us to come just as we are.
When we pour our our hearts before Him, it's like pouring water out. Just pour out all your hurts and your confusion like water. There are depths of hurts within us that need to be emptied out before Him, so that He can fill us up again with His goodness and His mercies.
Jeremiah also had a word of encouragement in Lamentations:
Lamentations 3:22-24 (NKJV)
Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"
So whatever it is that you're going through, just go to Him as you are, empty yourself before Him that He can fill you up once again!
