TRUSTING GOD THROUGH IT ALL

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Habakkuk 3:16-19 – “16 I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. 17  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, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” (NIV)

The Book of Habakkuk deals with the weighty issues of life. It’s all about faith in God. It teaches us to trust God, even when things seem difficult. If our faith is SHALLOW and WEAK, we will be unable to stand up to the challenges of life. Habakkuk 2:4b says, “…but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness (NIV).”

In the passage, God revealed to Habakkuk that Judah was about to be invaded and ransacked. Everything they had worked hard for, everything they had built, would be destroyed. Habakkuk shared three things that he did, even when he was facing the worst calamity of his lifetime. What we can learn from Habakkuk?

 

HOW DO YOU EXERCISE FAITH IN GOD DURING THE WORST OF TIMES?

 

WAIT PATIENTLY FOR GOD EVEN WHEN YOU ARE AFRAID

Habakkuk 3:16 – “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.” (NLT)

God warned Habakkuk about the Babylonians invading. God described how violent and cruel these invaders would be in scary detail. He also told Habakkuk about the big punishments he would bring on Babylon and all the nations that didn’t obey God. But God had also assured Habakkuk that he would judge the Babylonians for their sin and that He would ultimately deliver His people. And so amid his fears, Habakkuk chose to wait patiently for God. Habakkuk is determined to wait patiently during this time of trial, to rest himself in the Lord.

God promises to give us His peace when we give our worries and fears to Him. Philippians 4:6-7 says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

CHOOSE TO REJOICE IN GOD EVEN WHEN NOTHING IS OK

Habakkuk 3:17-18 – “17  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, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (NIV)

Even when everything else in life goes wrong, Habakkuk is determined to rejoice in God. He describes three scenarios in the passage: The first scenario: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines.” The blossoms on the fig tree and the grapes forming on the vine refer to things you are trusting for the FUTURE. They are symbols of hope to come. It is just a blossom, just a flower, and yet it is a tangible sign that the figs and the grapes are coming. But in this scenario, there are no signs for the future. The fig tree does not bud. There are no grapes on the vine. There is no visible sign that these things will ever come to be.

Do you have hopes and dreams for the future even though we’re facing uncertainties in this world? Do you ever feel like saying, “God, please just give me a little sign, some type of hope that things are going to change, something to hold on to?” This is how Habakkuk felt. When you have nothing to hold on to for the future, hold on to God. Trust God no matter what. When you can’t trust the visible situation, trust the invisible God.

The second scenario: “Though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food.” The olive crop and the fields refer to things you are trusting in the PRESENT. They are a symbol of your present. But in this scenario what you are trusting lets you down. The olive crop fails. The fields produce no food. Imagine it’s harvest time and the storm sweeps the harvest. They disappoint you. The word “fail” in Hebrew is a word that means “to deceive, to disappoint, or to fail.”  

What do you do when everything you’re depending on falls apart all of a sudden? What do you do when you suffer bitter disappointments in life? Habakkuk says, to trust God through it all.

The third scenario: “Though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls.” The sheep and cattle refer to things you are trusting from the PAST. They are a symbol of your resources. But in this scenario, you have no resources to fall back on. There are no sheep in the pen. There are no cattle in the stalls. Or, to put it in today’s terms, there is no money in the bank. Your friends and family have helped you all they can. Your credit cards are maxed out. Your physical strength is drained. Your savings are all used up.

What do you do when you have nothing to fall back on? When you have nothing to fall back on, fall back on God. It’s easy to trust in God when everything is going well. You have lots of money.  Your family is in good health. Your relationship is getting stronger.  You have attained all your dreams in life. However, are you really trusting in God at those times? Or are you trusting in the things that you have? Think about Job. This was exactly the question Satan asked God about Job. “Does Job trust You because he trusts You, or because You have blessed the work of his hands?” Job showed his true colors when God removed the blessing, and Job continued to trust God no matter what. 

FIND STRENGTH IN GOD EVEN WHEN YOU ARE WEAK

Habakkuk 3:19 – “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” (NIV)

Habakkuk paints the picture of a female deer running on the heights of the mountains, steady and sure-footed, carefree and unafraid, full of freedom and confidence as she climbs the heights. Do you long to enter the higher places with God? Then find your strength in Him alone. Trust God to lift you up when you are down.

God often puts us in situations that are too hard and overwhelming for us to handle. It is in those moments that we can see God’s strength, not ours. We will face things that we cannot handle. But God can! In 2 Corinthians 12:10 Paul said, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG (NIV).” When we’re dealing with things that are too much for us and make us feel weak, that’s when God is there to help us with His strength.

Habakkuk asked these questions: “Does God care? Is God fair? Is God there?” Habakkuk kept bringing his questions to God and finding the answers that he needed. Habakkuk began his journey in the valley of doubt and fear and ended his journey in the mountain with God full of hope and faith.

It is a beautiful journey and one that is open to all who will come honestly to God with their questions, and seek Him with all of their heart. God promises in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (NIV).” And so wherever you may be in your journey, from doubt to faith, let me encourage you to keep seeking God. Keep coming to Him with your doubts and with your questions.

 

LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION:

1) Have there been times in your life when things didn’t go as you hoped or planned? How did you respond to these situations?

2) Reflect on a difficult period in your life. Did you find it challenging to trust in God during that time? Why or why not?

3) Think about instances where you witnessed others facing hardships. How did their faith in God influence their response to challenging situations?