Habakkuk: The Frustration of Waiting

Waiting for a manifestation can feel deeply frustrating, especially when it seems as though nothing is moving. This inner struggle is beautifully shown in the book of Habakkuk, where the prophet cries out in anguish over delays and unanswered prayers. In Neville Goddard’s teachings, these cries mirror our own mental battles — and reveal where our attention must shift.

Psychologically, a prophet represents an inner faculty of consciousness: the part of you that receives insight, declares the end, and stays faithful to an inner vision beyond appearances.

The Cry of Impatience

"The word which Habakkuk the prophet saw. O Lord, how long will I make my prayer to you, and you will not give ear? I am crying out to you because of the cruel things men do; and you do not say a word."
— Habakkuk 1:1–2 (BBE)

Here, Habakkuk embodies the inner voice that pleads and worries when results seem absent. Neville taught that "Lord" refers to your imagination — the source of all creation. When you beg or question whether your prayer is heard, you actually affirm separation from your desire. Instead of assuming it is already fulfilled, you become stuck in a state of waiting, which perpetuates the absence.

Focusing on Outer Trouble

"Why do you make me see evil-doing and let me see trouble? For wasting and violence are before me; there is fighting and bitter argument."
— Habakkuk 1:3 (BBE)

This verse highlights how the mind, when fixated on external problems, multiplies them. Neville would say that the continual attention to "violence" and "argument" symbolises the imagination enslaved by outer facts. Rather than resting in the fulfilled wish, we become hypnotised by what appears to be, reinforcing discord and delay.

The Illusion of Powerlessness

"For this reason the law is feeble, and right is never done. For the evil-doer surrounds the upright; so right goes out twisted."
— Habakkuk 1:4 (BBE)

Here, the "law" symbolises your creative principle — imagination — seeming ineffective when overshadowed by doubts. When you focus on external wrongs or on what is "not yet," your inner power ("the law") feels weak, and righteous judgment ("right") appears distorted. Neville would interpret this as proof that as long as you serve appearances, you surrender your true authority as the operant power.

The Shift to Inner Watchfulness

"I will take my place on my watch-tower, and will keep my place on the wall, watching to see what he will say to me, and what answer I will give to my protest. And the Lord gave me an answer, and said, Put the vision in writing and make it clear on stones, so that the reader may go quickly. For the vision is still for the fixed time, and it is moving quickly to the end; and it will not be false: and if it is slow in coming, go on waiting for it; because it will certainly come, it will not be late."
— Habakkuk 2:1–3 (BBE)

At this point, Habakkuk transitions from complaint to inner vigilance. The "watch-tower" is your higher state of awareness, where you stand firmly in the assumption that your desire is already true. "Write the vision" refers to clearly defining and fixing your intention in imagination.

Neville would stress that this passage perfectly illustrates the law of assumption: living as though your wish is already fulfilled, regardless of appearances or time. The "fixed time" is the natural period needed for the inner seed to take root and bear fruit in the outer world. Persist in the feeling of completion — it "will not be false" and "will certainly come."

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The Key Insight: Living from the End

Habakkuk’s frustration is the mirror of our mental struggle when we focus on outer delays. The real power is in moving from complaint to steadfast inner conviction — from worrying about time to assuming the end.

Neville Goddard famously said, "Your assumptions harden into fact." When you live from the state of the wish fulfilled, you stop asking "how long?" and start embodying "it is done."