Hi, and welcome to the Five Word Prayers Daily, a five-day-a-week daily devotional where we share the word, prayers, and our heart.

I'm Lisa Whittle, and I welcome you to just five minutes with me, which I trust and pray will be five minutes well spent.

Have you ever been reading the word and a verse made you stop, literally stop, and just take it in because it was so powerful. That's how it was for me not long ago,

and it was in a book of the Bible. I admit I don't get to very much. But here's why I loved it,

because it encouraged me that even though it looks like evil is getting the upper hand,

bad people get away with things. God is being overlooked and mocked. He knows exactly what is going on. I can't wait to

review what I read in just a minute. I don't know about you, but I suspect you're like me and that

sometimes you get discouraged about this crazy world and how evil seems to just always prosper, right? Bad people get

away with things and God is not respected or reverenced. The things of the Lord are diminished more and

more every day. And sometimes I just want to say, God, are you paying attention? Do you know what's going on?

And if so, why aren't you doing anything about it? Look, I know he does know what's going

on and he does have a handle on it. I really don't doubt that in my core. But goodness,

sometimes I just want him to do something about all this mess and call people on the carpet

and deal with all the bad guys. But the truth is, I have to look at myself and say, thank the Lord, he is also gracious and long-suffering

for me.

But just recently, the Lord directed me to the book of Habakkuk, which I have to tell you

is not a typical book of the Bible for me.

I read it before multiple times, but honestly haven't paid a lot of attention to it.

Habakkuk is kind of in that

same spot a lot of us have found ourselves in the scripture that I read, asking God why the

wicked people of Judah aren't being punished, why the evil is allowed to go on, and really

just pleading to God from a heart of justice.

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