Why doesn't God do something?

Read Habakkuk 1.

This is the only book in the Bible where the prophet initiates the message.  Habakkuk was frustrated.  Everywhere he looked in Judah all he could see was sin and injustice.  He complained directly to God, "Why aren't you doing something about the sin in this nation?"  He falsely assumed that God was somehow idle or ignoring the blatant wrong-doing.

In verses 5-11, we have the response.  God had all along been preparing to activate His plan for Judah.  In verse 5, God explained why He did not reveal His intentions to Habakkuk.  The prophet would neither believe it, nor would he like it.  The LORD empowered the Babylonians to conquer the Assyrians.  With their rise to world power, Judah would be the next Babylonian target.  God's plan was to use that wicked, violent, ungodly empire to discipline His people.

As predicted, this was not what Habakkuk wanted to hear at all.  He reacted with what he thought were two strong, irrefutable arguments:
1. God is too holy to use sinners to accomplish His work. (v.13a)
2. Judah was more righteous than the Babylonians. (v.13b)
With that, the prophet seems to smugly believe that he had God cornered and in 2:1, he said, "I will take my stand" and wait to see how God will answer now.

Three insights for us to know about the sovereignty of God:
1. God is always active fulfilling His plans for individuals and nations.
"'I am the Alpha and Omega," says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" (Revelation 1:8)  He eternally knows and controls the beginning and the end of all things.

2. God can use anyone to accomplish His will.
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise you." (Psalm 76:10)

3. God’s decisions regarding His plans become tests of our faith.
If we could see the future, we probably would react a lot like Habakkuk.  There would be things we would not like or want to hear.  Trusting the steadfast love of God in the uncertainty of life and the hardships that come is the essence of living by faith.  God will teach the prophet this in the next chapter.  "But the righteous shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4b)