Babylonian Backing

Yesterday I stood and prayed for an hour in front of the Heritage (abortion) Clinic. I was joined by 3 women who were also part of the 40 Days for Life campaign; and by 6 others who definitely weren’t. The “choice group” carried signs and boom boxes; the pray-ers carried bibles and rosary beads. They laughed and carried on; we bowed in solemn prayer.

One guy stood behind me as he played his music; I softly read aloud from the book of Habakkuk to keep my focus:

How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.

I wanted to scream at God, “Yeah, what Habakkuk said! How long are you going to tolerate this injustice, Lord?!”

Then I read the Lord’s answer to the prophet:

Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people…

What? The Babylonians? They were a wicked, Godless people; how would God ever use them? That’s when it hit me; God can use anyone – from Babylonians to pro-choicers – (even me!) to further His purposes; He will not be denied. Then, that realization was followed quickly by the thought that the rowdy activity in front of the abortion clinic is actually accomplishing two things the demonstrators could never have imagined:

1) They are deterring abortions, and
2) They are destroying the anonymity of GR’s abortion clinic.

Many women want to slip in and out of the abortion clinic without being seen; a crowd of people on the sidewalk makes that impossible. Therefore, I suspect some women will drive right past; some will never come back. Also, everyone going by the Heritage Clinic is being educated to the fact that abortion happens in this City of Churches, and that its address is 320 E. Fulton. That, too, will save lives as awareness of the reality of abortion rises in our community.

So, I took great comfort in the fact that God is still on his throne; He can use anything or anyone to fulfill His purposes. But, no matter how evil seems to prosper for the moment, we must all remember Habakkuk’s conclusion:

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Today, thank the Lord for the life you’ve been given. And thank Him for the fact that, no matter how bleak things look, He is still on the Throne and rejoice in knowing Him.