Speaker Sermon/Lesson Title Audio   Video  Text   MS Word Category Bobby Stafford Trusting God in Tough Times     Christian Living

Trusting God in Tough Times

Introduction:

What is the most difficult experience you’ve ever gone through?  Maybe it was the death of a spouse, or of a child, or of a parent?  Possibly it was an act of violence committed against you or a loved one.  Or maybe it was a natural disaster like a tornado or hurricane?

What were you thoughts toward God at that time?  Was it anger, or maybe disappointment? Did you pray?  If so, what did you say to Him? 

Our text today is a message of great hope:  Habakkuk 3:16-19.  Lewis states it is “one of the greatest declarations of faith to be found in biblical literature.”  Habakkuk’s name means “one who embraces.”  He was going to cling to God regardless of how bad things got; and he lived in tough times, too.  It was a time of violence and oppression, brutality, theft.  (Habakkuk 1:1-4) “The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.  O Lord, how long shall  I cry, And You will not hear?  Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ And You will not save.  Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble?  For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises.  Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth.  For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” NKJV  His feeling of despair is seen in Verse 16.  He offers up a prayer of passion and through it we can learn how to trust God in tough times.

Text:  Habakkuk 3:16-19

 Habakkuk 3:16 “When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble.  When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops.” NKJV

Body:

I.  What Happens When All Is Lost?  Habakkuk 3:17 “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls”– NKJV

·  Israel’s economy was based almost entirely on agriculture – fruit trees, grape vines, wheat and barley, sheep and cows.  The prophet sees that in the near future all of Israel’s natural resources will be destroyed.  They will be destroyed by the Chaldean army which will  be sent by Jehovah.  (Habakkuk 1:5-7) “Look among the nations and watch – Be utterly astounded!  For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.  For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.  They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.” NKJV

·  Jeremiah, a contemporary of Habakkuk, wrote a similar description  of the coming devastation.  (Jeremiah 5:15-17) “Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,’ says the Lord.  It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say.  Their quiver is like an open tomb; They are all mighty men.  And they shall eat up your harvest and your bread, Which your sons and daughters should eat.  They shall eat up your flocks and your herds; They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; They shall destroy your fortified cities, In which you trust, with the sword.” NKJV

·  What would this look like in today’s world?  You would have lost your job, your money taken away, banks and the stock market shut down, no food to eat today and no hope for some tomorrow, no gasoline, natural gas or electricity.  Such a bleak, dismal picture!  What will you do when tough times come – when money or knowledge or power won’t fix it?  Do what Habakkuk did.  He petitioned God for mercy.  (Habakkuk 3:1-2) “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth.  O Lord,  I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!  In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.  God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran.  Selah” NKJV  This led him to rejoice!

II.  Rejoice in the Lord  Habakkuk 3:18 “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” NKJV

·  Notice what Habakkuk doesn’t do.  He doesn’t yell at God in anger, “God, what do you think You’re doing?”  He doesn’t stick his head in the sand and pretend everything is OK and nothing really bad will happen.  He also doesn’t say that he can endure all this on his own without God’s help.

·  He does say, though, “I will rejoice in the Lord.”  Similarly to Isaiah 61:10a “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God;” NKJV  Even though terrible things will soon happen, he knows God is the God of his salvation.  He is the God of his strength.  Joy is a mark of a Christian and a fruit of the Spirit.  (Romans 14:17) “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” NKJV  (Galatians 5:22) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” NKJV

·  Recall the name Habakkuk means “one who embraces.”  He was going to cling to God and rejoice regardless.

III.  Trust God  Habakkuk 3:19 “The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.” NKJV

·  This verse explains why Habakkuk can rejoice in the midst of suffering.  The reason:  God is his strength, his joy.

·  “Feet of a deer”  Think of bighorn sheep, how God designed their feet to travel over difficult ground and not be hurt by sharp rocks and able to grip so as not to slip.  (Psalm 18:31-33) “For who is God, except the Lord?  And who is a rock, except our God?  It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect.  He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places.” NKJV  We can have sure-footed confidence in God who enables us to travel over harsh ground in difficult circumstances.

·  “High places”  God helps us [enables us] to go through extreme times, places of pain and suffering.  He is our rock, our strength, our salvation.

Conclusion:

Habakkuk went on a journey which began with despair and ended with assurance.  (Habakkuk 1:2) “O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear?  Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ And You will not save.” NKJV  (Habakkuk 3:19) “The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.” NKJV  Where will God take you; what high places will you encounter?  One thing we can know for sure:  In the face of natural disasters, a diseased body, financial ruin, the death of a loved one, we can be more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

 

Bobby Stafford  September 22, 2019