The Road to Perdition

The Road to Perdition. When hearing this phrase, maybe you think of the 2002 movie starring Tom Hanks, where a father fights to keep his son from repeating his own sins by traveling down the road to destruction and damnation. In Christian theology, the word “perdition” is defined as a state of eternal punishment and damnation into which a sinful and unrepentant person passes after death. This phrase was given to me one night by the Holy Spirit. I personally had never seen the movie, yet I knew exactly what God was referring to.

In the months and weeks leading up to this particular night, I dreamed a series of dreams that left me shaken and undoubtedly knowing that the Holy Spirit was speaking to me. I’m not talking about beautiful dreams where I was given a taste of what heaven must be like. They were quite literally the opposite. Vivid scenes of sorcery, demonic possession, abortion, child exploitation, drug use, murder...these were just some of the abominations covered in these nightmares. I received the counsel of a dear friend who walks closely with the Lord on what she thought these things could mean. She said, “Lacey, what if this is God’s way of giving you a glimpse into what He sees happening on this earth on a daily basis?”

That led me to a deeply spiritual question that I’m sure many of you have had before, “Why does God allow terrible things to happen?” I prayed for discernment over the heaviness of topics and felt the Holy Spirit lead me to a book easily passable in the Bible because of its three short chapters: Habakkuk.

“How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! ‘Violence is everywhere!’ I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence, I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in our courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous so that justice has become perverted.” Habakkuk 1: 2-4 (NLT).

This heavy verse kicks off the three chapters with a powerful punch. Habakkuk was a prophet who mourned over Israel when it was a morally corrupt state, gaining wealth and power by trampling on the innocent and killing those whose ways were not aligned with their own missions. He cried out to God over the inhumanity surrounding him, asking why God wasn’t responding to the spiral of destruction spreading like a disease. Habakkuk asked with the expectation that God would come down in his chariot of fire and save the day. Instead, God shocked him by telling him that He was sending the Babylonians, a bitter nation, to overpower and destroy Israel. What?!

Habakkuk says, “But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they?” Habakkuk 1:13.

Let’s think about that for a minute. The Babylonians prided themselves in their idol worship and military warfare tactics of brutality, and no regard for humanity was waved like a proud banner of achievement. God sent this evil nation to judge and punish the sins of Israel. This made me stop and think about the world we are living in, where the justice system is broken, Christians are being persecuted, and evil seems to triumph. It doesn’t make sense, right?

God gave Habakkuk a vision as a reply to fighting evil with evil by telling him to have faith and, “If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it (answer) will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” Habakkuk 2:3.

Ultimately, God is telling Habakkuk that all evil will eventually be destroyed once and for all. We know the scenes spelled out in the Book of Revelation. The righteous shall live by patient endurance. Patient endurance is holding on to your faith when circumstances are tough, when life makes no sense, and when the sins of this world are worshipped on a daily basis. Patient endurance is knowing who wins the battle and who holds the keys to eternal life. Knowing that those who live in wickedness and play on “The Road to Perdition” will not go unpunished. Knowing that the righteous will live in glory forever. And remember, Jesus is coming soon! 

- Lacey

About Lacey:

Lacey and her husband, Jason, have been married almost eight magical years and have two beautiful children, Judah and Scarlett. She is a marketing specialist by day for a local museum and loves making a mess in the kitchen and teaching her children how to cook. Lacey has a passion for the ministry through her writings on personal life experiences and applying biblical truths and is an “At The Table” Ministry Leader through Living Truth Collective. She and her family call Southside Baptist Church, in Warner Robins, GA, their home.

Do you wrestle, like Lacey, with discernment and the heaviness that comes with asking why God allows terrible things to happen? These emotions are such a natural part of being human. Let's talk about it in the comments below. 

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