Lookout for the Unseen God

Faith in the Middle, Not Just at the End

“I will stand at my watch and station myself on the Ramparts; 

I will look to see what He will say to me.” — Habakkuk 2:1 (NIV)

Habakkuk teaches us that faith is not the absence of questions but the courage to bring those questions to God. As Walter Brueggemann writes, his words are “honest speech in the midst of disorientation.” When everything seemed wrong—violence unchecked, justice perverted, prayers unanswered—Habakkuk did not turn away. Instead, he turned toward God with his confusion. True faith doesn’t silence the heart’s cries; it brings them into conversation with the One who listens. Patrick Miller reminds us, “Prayer that includes complaint and protest is still an act of faith, because it presumes that God listens.”

Faith is not just about believing at the end of the story when everything makes sense—it’s about standing firm in the middle, when nothing does. Habakkuk chose to “stand at his watch,” to wait for God’s answer in patient trust. Eugene Peterson paraphrases God’s reply: “Look around… Brace yourself for a shock. Something’s about to take place, and you’re going to find it hard to believe.” God’s plans often unfold in ways we could never predict. What seems like loss may be preparation; what feels like silence may be the shaping of something greater. To wait is not to do nothing—it is to hold faith steady when our understanding wavers.

Even when the world unravels, God is still weaving redemption. The faithful learn to rest not in answers but in God’s character. Habakkuk’s journey begins in lament and ends in song: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour” (Habakkuk 3:18). Between the ache and the answer lies the space where faith matures. To live by faith is to believe that God’s purposes are being fulfilled, even in the dark threads of our days.

Prayer

Lord, when life feels uncertain and Your ways seem hidden,teach us to wait in faith like Habakkuk. Help us bring our questions to You honestly and trust You deeply. Even in the middle of confusion, may we rejoice in Your goodness and believe that You are still at work doing wonders we would not believe, even if told. Amen.