Expectations and Relationship

Habakkuk 2:1

I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me..

This is his mindset after having a conversation with God and asking Him some questions in chapter 1
Habakkuk fully expected God to respond. In Chapter 1, he was questioning why it was taking God so long to answer him; Habakkuk had been calling out for help, he asked God why He would not hear his cries and why God does not save. Habakkuk was asking some pretty straight forward questions that sounded almost like accusations toward God. Yet, he expected God to answer him.

God did not disappoint Habakkuk; God did reply in chapter one. God told Habakkuk that He was going to send a group of violent people to “sweep through like the wind and pass on” This was most likely not the response Habakkuk was hoping to receive and surely struck some fear in him. However, he boldly asked another set of questions of God; questioning the reasoning of God for doing such a thing!

Stop to think about that for a moment.....God states what His plan of action is, in detail, and Habakkuk does not just simply accept what God states. I mean, this IS the Creator of everything and He just said what He was going to do but this mere man decides that he needed more information from God. Habakkuk didn't understand the WHY in what God said so he prodded God for an explanation.

God did not strike him dead....He did not strike him with “a thorn in his side”....No, God waited...

Habakkuk then responds, in chapter two, with the declaration..... I will keep watch to see what God will speak to me! WOW! He questions the reasoning of Almighty God and then declares that not only will he wait for a response....he EXPECTS God to answer.

Why? Why would a man expect God to answer his questioning? How did Habakkuk know that God would not strike him dead for such a boldness? What can we learn from this?

Those are very good questions! Let's dive a little deeper and see what we can discover.

Habakkuk was a prophet in the Old Testament. Prophet is simply someone who brings forth the Word of God. Therefore, prophets were the people that God actually spoke with...they had conversations with God. Yes, that is correct. God allowed His prophets to speak openly with Him; ask Him questions; and at times debate a bit with God. Each prophet had their own personality so the manner in which they approached God may have been different but one thing was the same with all of them.....they understood their relationship with God.

There are two words in that paragraph that we need to take a better look at; Conversation and Relationship.

Conversation is defined as intimate fellowship or association; unrestricted talk; general exchange of sentiments

Relationship is defined as the state of being related by kindred, affinity or other allegiance.

I have to admit that I got excited by these definitions!!

Habakkuk understood that he had a relationship with God. God chose him to be a prophet therefore God chose to have an allegiance with this man. The allegiance that came with being a prophet is that you got to have conversations with God. Prophets, by the very nature of the position, had access to an intimate fellowship/association with the Creator. They were given the opportunity of unrestricted talk with their God...an exchange of words.

Habakkuk understood the parameters of this unique relationship and understood that this was a gift. He knew that if his people were to know what God wanted them to do, then he needed to hear it from God. That was his relationship with God....God spoke to him and in turn, he was allowed to freely speak in return. That is very comforting to me! God voiced His plan, His praises for the people but also His disappointments. But listen....God also expected to have an exchange of words, or ideas with His prophets. He was not then nor is He now a God that just barks orders or commands. Absolutely NOT!!!

God longs for the relationship with His people. He expects conversation. Just think what would have happened if Abraham would have chose not to converse with God about Sodom and Gomorrah. God told Abraham that He was going to destroy the cities. Abraham questioned God about that decision...a few times actually. In so doing, Lot and his family were spared.

Guess what? We are able to have the same type of relationship with God today!! We are able to have a relationship where we can exchange ideas and words with God. We get to ask Him questions like the prophets. We get to tell Him about the things that stress us out or that break our heart. We are able to go straight to God with our feelings, with our hurts, our sorrow, with our anger. How is this possible?

Christ's sacrifice on the Cross.

Jesus Christ died a very painful death so that we could be restored to a right relationship with the Father. Thus, Father God extended the honor of relationship to all of His children, not just to a chosen few. This relationship is between a Father and His child; the kind that Jesus had with the Father. They had conversations....Jesus prayed and God listened....and He also responded.

Does your faith expect God to respond to your prayers?
Do you have an expectation when you talk to God?

Matthew 9:29 “...according to your faith, be it unto you...”