Faith in God

Throughout the bible, there are instances of people struggling with God’s ability to allow injustice in this world. There are two chapters in particular that are dedicated pretty much just to that theme. If you haven't read them, I've included the "C1 abbreviated version", which is my interpretation of the story and I'm no theologian. I don't even think I spelled that word right.

The book of Habakkuk is a little tiny little book at the end of the Old Testament. Habakkuk is a prophet who complains to God about the violence, destruction, wickedness and injustice that surrounds him. The Lord answers that He’ll send the Babylonians to come conquer the evil that surround Habakkuk. Habakkuk pretty much asks God, What are you thinking? The Babylonians are more evil than those to be punished. God then comes back to Habakkuk telling him “woe” will come to anyone who is greedy, prideful, who steels, kills, and takes advantage of others. Habakkuk comes back to praise and rejoice in the Lord.

Then, there is the book of Job. It is a bit more popular and longer (it’s 42 chapters compared to 3 of Habakkuk), so I’m not rereading it to recant the story – so forgive me if I don’t get it exactly right. Basically Job is very faithful to God. Satan comes along and tells God the only reason Job is so faithful is because Job has been blessed so many times over. So the Lord let’s Satan test Job and destroy pretty much every aspect of Job’s life. Job sums up this destruction by saying, “All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me.” Yet, Job still has faith. As the story goes, Job gets annoyed and defends himself to God. This goes on for many chapters and a few people talking to Job, until finally Elihu says to Job, “But you have said in my hearing…I am pure and without sin; I am clean an free from guilt. Yet God has found fault with m; he considers me his enemy….But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man. Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man’s words?” Finally God speaks and goes on to chastise Job by asking him if he created the world and all that is in it. Then God says “Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?” So Job relents. But because Job had remained faithful, the Lord blessed him.

These two stories are similar in that despite all that was going on around them, these guys never lost faith. They may have been upset with the injustice around them or they were experiencing but still they had faith. I’m not sure I could stand up to that test. As things fall down around me, I have to question His existence. I try to understand the whole free will thing and how evil that rains upon us isn’t His doing (although he certainly let Satan have his way with Job). But it still seems so wrong. Habakkuk asks, how can God who is so good stand to witness all the evil around Him.

I’m with Habakkuk, it makes no sense. It seems so very wrong and I guess I’ll never understand it. So, I keep trying to hold on to my faith and hold onto hope that things will one day make sense to me.