Has there ever been a time you prayed to God for something, and he gave you an answer that you did not want? God told the prophet that he was at work. This is a remarkable fact, especially for modern people. God is at work. In a world that only considers humans at work, God works. The hoped-for response to a lament (cf. 1:2–4) would be an oracle of salvation, but here the response is an oracle of judgment. Evil and calamity do not exist independent of the sovereign rule and redemptive purposes of God God’s Response  Habakkuk 1:5  1. God Is Working Even When We Don’t See It The point is that God is already at work. Habakkuk’s questions reflect the questions of many people. When dealing with personal insults, difficulties, and disappointments, we want to know where God is and what he is doing. Habakkuk reminds us that God is at work. He is the Lord of the universe who works to accomplish his purpose in his world and our lives. God now tells Habakkuk to look—to look at the nations, to take a good look. God was already at work in and behind the scenes of Earth’s history to set in motion events that would change the whole situation. We do not have to see God working to know he is working. His great works are on display, but sometimes, we are too stubborn to see them. Habakkuk 1:6-8  2. He Will Get Our Attention (Raising Up A Conquer) This group is collectively summoned to look to the nations and be amazed at what God is about to do, as what is about to happen is something none of them would have expected. This is because God announced he was raising up the Chaldeans in response to the internal problem of injustice in Judah. God answered Habakkuk by telling him he already had plans to punish Judah for its sins. He would use the completely unmerciful and ungodly Babylonians to carry out judgment on his people.  The Babylonians gained independence from Assyria in 626 B.C. and eradicated Assyrian power in 612–605 B.C. The speed with which they conquered other nations was legendary [v. 8], and they sent the people they conquered into exile [v. 9], just like the Assyrians before them. The thought that God would possibly use such wicked and ungodly people to punish Judah was shocking to the prophet and unbelievable to God’s people. There are times when God removes his hands from holding back the evil. God is constantly protecting us from ourselves, but sometimes, God will stop holding back the evil we bring down upon ourselves to get our attention. Habakkuk 1:9-11  3. God Can Bring Judgment Through Evil People Believers who ignore the will of God deny God his rightful place in their lives, preferring instead to play God themselves. If they believe that God is, as he has revealed himself to be, the universe’s sovereign creator, controller, and consummator, the believers must trust God in total commitment to him and let God be God in all life’s activities. That God should use violent and guilty people against violence within Judah is almost certainly different from the response Habakkuk had sought. God hears and answers prayer, even though his answer may be something other than what is expected. His way, however, is always the best. Sometimes, God uses different means than we think to get his point across. We see through the Bible that God uses all kinds of people to accomplish his will. He does not have to check with us on whom he chooses to use. What are our transformational moments? Do you need to look for God working in your life? Do you need to accept the answer to prayer that God has given you? Do you need to listen to God before it is too late?