Why A Good God Waits
Month 6: Hard Questions · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Habakkuk 2:1-4
1 I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts. I will watch to see what He will say to me, and how I should answer when corrected. 2 Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it. 3 For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay. 4 Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright — but the righteous will live by faith —
Memory Verse
“Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!”— Habakkuk 3:17-18 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Samuel 29-31
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (The sad end of King Saul, who would not wait on God.)The Heart of It
After Habakkuk poured out his complaint, he did something wise. He climbed up to the watchtower and waited for God to answer (). And God did answer. But His answer included these words: "Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" (2:3). In other words, "I'm not ignoring evil. I'm not slow. My timing is different from yours, and it is perfect." One of the biggest hard questions people ask is this. "If God is good and powerful, why doesn't He stop the bad stuff right now?" Part of the answer is right here. God waits on purpose. And His waiting is never the same as not caring.
Why would a good God wait? Think about it like this. Suppose God zapped every wrong the instant it happened. Then He would have to zap us too. Every mean word. Every lie. Every selfish moment. The Bible says God's patience is actually mercy. He waits so people have time to turn back to Him (). His delay is a door He's holding open. And notice the promise tucked inside: "the just shall live by his faith" (2:4). While we wait for God to make everything right, we don't sit around worrying. We trust Him. Faith is how God's people live in the in-between. The waiting isn't empty. It's full of mercy, and we fill it with trust.
Around the Table
God isn't slow, and He isn't ignoring us. He's being patient so more people can come to Him. Waiting can be a kind of love.
Let's do it: Practice "good waiting." Count slowly to ten while you trust that something good is coming. God's promises are worth the wait!
God told Habakkuk His answer would surely come at the right time. God's patience gives people a chance to turn back to Him.
Let's talk: Why might it actually be kind of God to wait before fixing everything? Who is He waiting for?
Some ask, "Why doesn't God stop evil now?" But that runs into a problem. Where would He draw the line? His delay is mercy. It gives room for people to turn back to Him. And while we wait, the just shall live by faith.
Let's go deeper: If God ended all evil tonight, who would be safe?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's the hardest thing you've ever had to wait for? Was the waiting easier when you trusted the person in charge?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "If God is real and good, why doesn't He stop all the evil right now?" Answer them kindly. "That's a really fair question, and the Bible asks it too. But think about what we're asking. If God removed all evil this instant, He'd have to remove every person who's ever done wrong. That includes me and you. The reason He waits is mercy. He's giving people time to come to Him before judgment comes (). His patience isn't weakness. It's the open door of grace." Say it gently, "with gentleness and respect" (). After all, you're walking through that same open door yourself.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The problem of evil is the question most likely to shake your kids in their teens and twenties, so it's worth equipping them now. Notice the shape of Habakkuk's faith. He doesn't get a full explanation of why God allows the Babylonians. He gets a renewed vision of who God is, and that's enough to make him trust. We should be honest with our kids that we don't have an exhaustive answer for every instance of suffering. But we have something better. We have a God who entered the suffering Himself at the cross, and who promises to set it all right. Teach them that "God is good and in control" and "this is terrible and shouldn't be" are both true at once. That tension is faithful, not contradictory.
Draws on: Sean McDowell & J. Warner Wallace, So the Next Generation Will Know.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Your waiting is full of mercy, not neglect. Help us trust Your perfect timing. Help us live by faith while we wait for You to make all things right. Use Your patience to draw many people to Yourself. In Jesus' name, amen."
God's patience is mercy, not neglect. And the just shall live by faith.