October 16, 2022
We’re in the middle of a series about Habakkuk, he’s one of the 12 minor prophets from the Old Testament. The meaning of Habakkuk’s name might actually be to wrestle or embrace. The book of Habakkuk is about sticking with God in a difficult time. It’s relying on God when you don’t understand tragedy in your life. The book of Habakkuk was written around 600 BC. God told him to tell the people of Judah that he would punish them for their injustice. Which Habakkuk could understand, he himself complained about how wicked the people were. But God added a twist to this and said, “I am raising up the Babylonians” to punish the people of Judah. And Habakkuk said, “Huh?! You’re going to raise up who?” Because the Babylonians were much more evil than the people of Judah. It’s like if God told us he was going to punish our country by having the North Koreans conquer us. WHAT???!!! Habakkuk says, Lord, you are my God and all, but this is not fair!
Today we’re talking about when you face something and you say, “I don’t understand God. You could do something about this. So why don’t you?” If you feel this way now, or will feel this way in the future, the book of Habakkuk will speak to you. The question we are going to wrestle with is, “What do you do and how do you believe in and rely on God when you are in the pit?”
When we first begin to follow God, we often go through a period where we notice God answering our prayers. God seems to be smiling on us! We feel God’s grace and love in our life, and it is amazing! But then, life continues, and we may go through some difficult times. We struggle with the fact that bad things happen. Someone we love gets cancer, we lose a job, or we have family troubles. It seems like there is something God could do to change this, but God doesn’t do it. We find out selves in a crisis of faith. God, why aren’t you making this better? Maybe we say, “I’m angry! Forget you, God!” Or maybe we deny that anything is wrong. If I don’t think or talk about it, everything is ok.
What Habakkuk does is something different. He doesn’t walk away from God. And he doesn’t live in denial, and say his pain is not real. Instead, he embraces and wrestles with God. And when you embrace God, even though things may not get better right away, you can grow much closer to God than you were in the past. In fact, the people who are closest to God are often those who have been through the most difficult times. But during those times, they experience that God is with them, that God is faithful.
So how do you believe when you are in the pit? Habakkuk chapter 2 gives us three things we can do while we are in great difficulty. Chapter 2 verse 1 of Habakkuk says, “I will stand at my watch and station myself at the ramparts; I will look to see what God will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.” Number 1, Habakkuk teaches us to stop, see what God says, and listen. Habakkuk took his complaint to God, then stopped and listened for what God would say. He wanted some answers. And to his credit, he didn’t walk away. He complained to God, then he stopped and listened to Him. He stood watch, stationed himself on top of the wall, and looked and listened for God.
Too often what we do is just whine and complain and go about our lives. We don’t stop and ask, “God what are you saying?” God loves it when we wrestle with him. We are his children, and God loves it when we speak to Him, and he speaks to us. If you stop to listen, God will often speak to you. He can speak through the Scriptures. God can speak to you through circumstances, or through other people. God spoke to Habakkuk, who didn’t like what He said, that punishment was coming from the Babylonians! But at least God spoke, and Habakkuk knew what God was up to.
Chapter 2 verses 2 and 3 tells us the second thing you do when you are in the pit. “Then the Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time. It speaks of an end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it. It will certainly come and not delay.” The second thing you do when you are in the pit is to write. You write what God shows you or tells you. Habakkuk takes notes when God talks. The punishment God was going to send wouldn’t start until a few years later. It’s a good thing Habakkuk took notes and wrote it down, so he and the people can look at his words and see that God had spoken and told them what He is up to.
I’m a big fan of writing a to-do list because I forget so much! Have you ever gone to the store to buy just two things, but when you get there, you can only remember one? It’s important to write things down so you remember! When God says something to you, write it down and make it plain. Sometimes I ask God questions, “God what is going on?” And I feel like God shows me something. I get a sense He responds. If I don’t write it down, an hour later I’ll think “Well, that was probably from God.” And then a week later I’ll think, “I’m not sure, maybe it was a dream.” And the sense that God has spoken seems to vanish!
For our church we write things down. We have a mission and a purpose.
Trinity’s Purpose is Loving God, Serving Together. Trinity’s Mission is “To increase worship attendance by 10, (to 38) and increase average Sunday school attendance to 10 by the end of this year.” Because we have a mission, we started having bring a friend Sunday. We worked on growing, because we wrote down what God told us!
St. Peter’s: Purpose is “To Connect with God, Connect with others, and Connect others with God.” St. Peter’s Mission is “To increase average worship attendance to 35, and average children’s Sunday school to 5 by the end of the year.” And we have 5 kids in Sunday school today!
God speaks to us, and we write it down or we’ll forget! Recording what God says helps us know the direction God wants us to go in and do it! We follow what we believe is from God.
So, the first thing we do in the pit is stop and listen, the second thing is to write down what God says, and the third thing we do is………………………………………………………………………… wait. It’s hard to wait, isn’t it? Verse 3 says, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” God says, “Wait for it!” When God promises something, you may have to wait a while, but you can take His promise to the bank. God’s delays are not God’s denials.
So, what happens when you’re living by faith, relying on God, and in your lifetime, you still don’t see what you believe He promised? There’s one more verse in chapter 2 of Habakkuk, with three very important words to remember. Verse 20 says, “But the Lord”. “But the Lord is in his holy temple.” But the Lord is still in charge. But the Lord is good. He is righteous. He is true. I think of the three men in the book of Daniel who were thrown in the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were told they would die if they didn’t bow down and worship king Nebuchadnezzar’s image. But they didn’t worship him. Even if they would be killed, they would not worship an image. They believed God would save them. But even if he didn’t, they would worship God alone. Because the Lord is in His holy temple. He is still in charge. And I will live by faith.
My challenge for you this week, is to ask God what He’s doing, what his plan is when you find yourself in the pit. Then listen to what God says, write it down, and wait for it.
Sometimes we are in the waiting zone. We are waiting on God. We want to live by faith. Even when things get worse, we want to wrestle with and embrace God. God can help us live by faith. Bring your tough questions to God. Then listen, record and wait. For the Lord is in his Holy Temple. He is in charge, and He is our help. It will change your life if you wait and listen for what the Lord will say. Amen.
L
Maureen Duffy-Guy's blog 