God is at Work

Sam Stringer

Mar 23, 2025

Look among the nations and watch--be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days

which you would not believe, though it were told you.

Habakkuk 1:5

It seems these days that the average church-goer in America is more clued in on the recent news than

they are the Word of God. I pastored numerous smaller churches the last twelve years and often found

that outside of the sermons and lessons, the casual talk of people many times gravitated to talking about

politics and frustrations. It seemed to me that the practical outcome of all of this was that the functional fix

for America was not Christ, but political agendas. If we just had “this person” in office or we got “those

guys” out, we had less government or more government, etc. we would be better off. Now, I understand

the angst some folks carried, but the issue I had was that this seemed primary and a Gospel outlook

secondary. Am I their judge? No, but when your words and interests veer in a certain direction

consistently, what you stand for, what you hope for, and what you set your mind on are going to come out.

If you think Jesus is the answer, it’s hard from that forming on your lips, too.

Habakkuk was deeply troubled by the sins of the Israelites around him. He cried out to God in frustration.

How long do I have to see this stuff? How long will God let this go on and do nothing about it? Why does

God seem so distant? Have you ever felt those things? I have heard similar words from people in church

regarding America. I think the concern though is not that we see sin, but what it conjures up in us. Yes,

we should not like seeing our nation walk away from God, but if our hearts aren’t inclined to desiring their

repentance rather than their judgment, there’s something wrong with us. Mercy and compassion for this

dying nation need to come forefront with the church rather than frustration and disgust. If God looked at

us the way that we tend to look at the sinful world around us, we’d be just as much in trouble as anyone

else. The Gospel changes that for us, and it could do that for them, too.

God speaks in Habakkuk 1:5, and His words will go on from there to speak of how He will realign His

people through raising up sinners against them. Verse 5, though, is the initial words of God: I will work a

work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. God is saying here: I am at work,

of course I am! I am not okay with Israel’s sins and I am deeply bothered by it. He goes on to let

Habakkuk know that He’s not just going to do something about it, but currently is doing something about

it. What if the things we see going on in our country are not God being silent, but God doing things? If our

interpretation of God’s work only looks certain ways, we’re going to struggle to make sense of it when He

is working through means that don’t make sense to us. If we limit Him in how He can accomplish good, or

what good looks like, or what He should be accomplishing, we’re going to miss it.

Let’s go to a smaller scale now: the things going on in your life may make no sense to you. The sins some

may have committed against you may feel unaddressed and that God has forgotten you. Believe me, I

have felt this way many times over. Nevertheless, just because I feel like God’s being silent or that He’s

letting things slip or overlooking me, that doesn’t mean it’s true whatsoever. I am more than likely

watching Him do His thing right now and failing to see that He is at work. You and I must have faith to

believe that God can do whatever He wants, however He wants, whenever He wants, wherever He

wants. Brave Christians believe that way. Fearful, despairing Christians forget that God is in control and

never limited by their perceptions of whether He’s doing great things. I’ve been both, and maybe you

have, too.

Friend, I would encourage you today to read this verse that God speaks to Habakkuk even to yourself. I

don’t care if you’re looking at the world at large, the one on your TV or out your window, or even the world

within. Look among the nations and watch--be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which

you would not believe, though it were told you. God is at work, never limited, never low on resources,

never forgetful, never dishonest, never unloving, never out of control, never off His throne. Will you live for Him? Will you live trusting that He’s doing exactly what He wants to do in this moment right now? He is.

He cares greatly for you, too. Be blessed.

Sam Stringer

God is at Work

Look among the nations and watch--be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days

which you would not believe, though it were told you.

Habakkuk 1:5

It seems these days that the average church-goer in America is more clued in on the recent news than

they are the Word of God. I pastored numerous smaller churches the last twelve years and often found

that outside of the sermons and lessons, the casual talk of people many times gravitated to talking about

politics and frustrations. It seemed to me that the practical outcome of all of this was that the functional fix

for America was not Christ, but political agendas. If we just had “this person” in office or we got “those

guys” out, we had less government or more government, etc. we would be better off. Now, I understand

the angst some folks carried, but the issue I had was that this seemed primary and a Gospel outlook

secondary. Am I their judge? No, but when your words and interests veer in a certain direction

consistently, what you stand for, what you hope for, and what you set your mind on are going to come out.

If you think Jesus is the answer, it’s hard from that forming on your lips, too.

Habakkuk was deeply troubled by the sins of the Israelites around him. He cried out to God in frustration.

How long do I have to see this stuff? How long will God let this go on and do nothing about it? Why does

God seem so distant? Have you ever felt those things? I have heard similar words from people in church

regarding America. I think the concern though is not that we see sin, but what it conjures up in us. Yes,

we should not like seeing our nation walk away from God, but if our hearts aren’t inclined to desiring their

repentance rather than their judgment, there’s something wrong with us. Mercy and compassion for this

dying nation need to come forefront with the church rather than frustration and disgust. If God looked at

us the way that we tend to look at the sinful world around us, we’d be just as much in trouble as anyone

else. The Gospel changes that for us, and it could do that for them, too.

God speaks in Habakkuk 1:5, and His words will go on from there to speak of how He will realign His

people through raising up sinners against them. Verse 5, though, is the initial words of God: I will work a

work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. God is saying here: I am at work,

of course I am! I am not okay with Israel’s sins and I am deeply bothered by it. He goes on to let

Habakkuk know that He’s not just going to do something about it, but currently is doing something about

it. What if the things we see going on in our country are not God being silent, but God doing things? If our

interpretation of God’s work only looks certain ways, we’re going to struggle to make sense of it when He

is working through means that don’t make sense to us. If we limit Him in how He can accomplish good, or

what good looks like, or what He should be accomplishing, we’re going to miss it.

Let’s go to a smaller scale now: the things going on in your life may make no sense to you. The sins some

may have committed against you may feel unaddressed and that God has forgotten you. Believe me, I

have felt this way many times over. Nevertheless, just because I feel like God’s being silent or that He’s

letting things slip or overlooking me, that doesn’t mean it’s true whatsoever. I am more than likely

watching Him do His thing right now and failing to see that He is at work. You and I must have faith to

believe that God can do whatever He wants, however He wants, whenever He wants, wherever He

wants. Brave Christians believe that way. Fearful, despairing Christians forget that God is in control and

never limited by their perceptions of whether He’s doing great things. I’ve been both, and maybe you

have, too.

Friend, I would encourage you today to read this verse that God speaks to Habakkuk even to yourself. I

don’t care if you’re looking at the world at large, the one on your TV or out your window, or even the world

within. Look among the nations and watch--be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which

you would not believe, though it were told you. God is at work, never limited, never low on resources,

never forgetful, never dishonest, never unloving, never out of control, never off His throne. Will you live for Him? Will you live trusting that He’s doing exactly what He wants to do in this moment right now? He is.

He cares greatly for you, too. Be blessed.

Sam Stringer

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.