When Jesus entered our world in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago, the scene was no more peaceful then than it is today. There was oppression, uncertainty, corruption and violence. Yet the heavenly host famously proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”


600 years earlier, Habakkuk cried out to God about the violence, sin, and strife of the world in his day. He lamented how the wicked surrounded the righteous. He asked God, “How long shall I cry for help and you will not hear?” That may sound like something a believer in Jesus Christ would cry out today.


The prophet’s lament did not put off God. Rather, He responded to “How long?” with “Look!” God called His people to watch and wonder at the work He was doing in their day.


When we grieve that today’s conflicts seem far from the peace that the Gospel proclaims, we’re called to watch and wonder at the work God is doing in and through His people. His favor brings peace through the cross of Christ!