In the Midst of Turmoil, Faith Endures
At a time when many Filipinos are wearied by political noise, economic hardship, and the unending cycle of bad news, Bishop Dan C. Domingo reminded believers at the PCCI in Buag, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya that faith is not tested in calm, but in crisis.
Preaching from the Book of Habakkuk, Bishop Domingo anchored his message on how the Prophet Habakkuk learned to endure by faith, not just to learn from God in general.
He described the book as a raw and honest dialogue. Habakkuk complains, God answers. Turmoil remains, but God does not immediately remove it. Instead, He tells the prophet to live by faith while in it: “The righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).
Bishop Domingo pointed out three lessons that resonate today:
First, to evaluate reality by God's Word, not by observation. Habakkuk's complaint in Chapter 1 was based on what he saw — injustice, violence, and a paralyzed law in Judah. God's answer forces him to trust what God says over what he sees.
Second, Habakkuk struggled with God's choices. He could not understand why God would use Babylon — a nation more wicked than Judah — to judge Judah. “Why do you idly look at traitors?” he asks in Habakkuk 1:13. It is the same question many ask today when wrong seems to prevail.
Third, God judges both. Judah will be punished for its sin, but Babylon will also be judged for its cruelty and pride (Habakkuk 2:6-20). No one escapes God's justice. His sovereignty is beyond human comprehension.
Finally, Bishop Domingo brought the message to its climax in Chapter 3 — sovereignty and joy rooted in God, not in Israel's safety. Habakkuk moves from seeking security in political deliverance to a deeper joy: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines... yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).
It was a timely reminder for a praying nation that continues to wrestle with trouble: faith does not always change the circumstance, but it changes where we root our joy.