Find Clarity in the Uncertainty
“I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint.”
Habakkuk 2:1. NIV
Habakkuk pulls aside from the normal routines of life to reflect and waits to hear from God. During turbulent times, we need to slow down. We need to pause. We can’t just keep ploughing ahead, ignoring the issues. It is time to reflect. We need to ask ourselves some important questions:
- What is going on?
- How should we respond?
- What do we need to do differently?
- What is important now?
- What could God be up to?
Maybe it is a call back to the basics or to strengthen foundations. Maybe it’s a call to refocus or to make some changes in how we do what we do. Not just “business as usual”. Maybe there are some adjustments and shifts we need to make. Be open.
Although God does not answer all of Habakkuk’s questions nor give him firm hope that everything will be resolved as he desires, he does give him enough information to know what God is up to. He then calls him to not only hear about God’s purposes but to make them clear for others. Notice the wording
“Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer (the revelation) plainly (clear or big block letters) on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision (revelation) is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.'”
Habakkuk 2:2-3. NLT
God’s responds and tells Habakkuk to write down the revelation or vision. Record it so it is clear, it can be passed on and followed through without being forgotten. For Habakkuk, the message or the vision is not a good one – the Babylonians are going to destroy Jerusalem and take God’s people into captivity. Yet he is to call them to live by faith, not to despair – even in incredibly turbulent times.
One of things you’ll discover in life is that you can’t always be certain but you can be clear. Uncertainty is a permanent part of our lives. It never goes away. We all have to at times make decisions with limited information. So our goal should not be to eliminate uncertainty. Instead, it should be to ensure we develop the art of clarity.
- In business, can you be certain of the economic environment over the next year? Of course not, but you can be clear about the service or product you have to offer and who your market is.
- On a sports team, can you be certain of the outcome of the game? Of course not, but you can be clear about what you are trying to achieve.
- In a church, can you be certain what we will look like in 3 months? Of course not, but we can be clear about the kind of church we want to be.
- In life, can you be certain about your future? Of course not, but you can be clear –about who you are, what is important to you, and what you are going to give your life to pursue.
- With this coronavirus pandemic, can we be certain how long we will be locked down or what life will be like when it’s all over? Of course not. But we can be clear about what is within our control – what we can and can’t do, as well as how we can all work together to minimise further infections.
Let’s stop fighting the uncertainty and focus on being clear about what is vitally important. Do you need to take some time aside to pause and find further clarity for your own life?