Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

As we begin our new series in the book of Habakkuk, Wrestling with God, we see Habakkuk wrestling with God and complaining about what seems like God’s lack of activity. As Habakkuk opens in chapter 1, God does not scold Habakkuk for lamenting and bringing his complaint to God. 

This is something we see throughout Scripture. Weather in the Psalms, the books of Job, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and others, but we also see Paul ask God to remove his thorn and Jesus in the garden asks for another way. 

Depending on your church background, view of God, or prayer, it might surprise you to see Habakkuk speak to God the way he does. Yet, this is so important: God invites our complaints. He doesn’t push us away or scold us. He listens. He embraces us, which is what Habakkuk’s name means. 

An important part of our Christian walk is a prayer of lament. Herman Gunkel said, “The prayer of complaint is the backbone of the Psalms.”

To help you, I want to encourage you to click this link to work through your own prayer of lament to God. This has been incredibly helpful to Katie and me in times of pain and difficulty as we try to stay open to what God is doing. The moments in life when we find ourselves in the valleys are dark and difficult, but they are also the moments when deep growth in our faith journey happens.