Keep Moving: Moving From Pain To Praise

Sermon - Moving From Pain to Praise

Habakkuk 3: 16-19 “I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.”

Introduction: Why does God seem so far away? When will this anxiety be over? Why did I lose my job? Why did God take away my loved one? Why doesn’t God stop this war? Why do I worry so much when I know I should be worshipping? When God doesn't do what we want, we are tempted to get angry, lose faith, or take matters into our own hands. We must posture our heart to follow God lead. Walking humbly, remembering that God knows where He is going, and He knows what He is doing. While the delay may be frustrating or even confusing, we do know that God is at work behind the scenes to accomplish His will. You may not see His hand at work but you can trust that His promises are true. You may not be ready for the answer just yet but God is working to make sure you are ready when it comes.

The Prophet Habakkuk was a contemporary of Jeremiah and he ministered in a culturally and politically turbulent time, right before Babylon took Judah into exile. The reason I want us to look at this book is because Habakkuk, whose name means “wrestling,” had a number of questions for God. Sometimes wrestling with God is about going back repeatedly in prayer over something that is confusing us that he has said or that is happening in our lives. Sometimes, the wrestling looks a bit like negotiating with God, and at other times it looks like reminding God of his promises while asking him to act.

Habakkuk is unique among the prophets because he didn’t speak for God to the people, but rather spoke to God about his questions. The book is actually an intense dialog between the prophet and God, with Habakkuk arguing that God’s ways are incomprehensible and even unjust. I want us to consider some steps from Gloom to Glory – From Pain to Praise that might help us as we face uncertain and difficulties in life! Habakkuk, no doubt gives voice to some of our concerns and questions as we worry about the conditions of the world, our nation and even our community. Let’s look at this narrative flow where Chapters 1-2 contain prayers of pain and chapter 3 is filled with praise. Notice Habakkuk’s condition has not changed, but what He sees of God changes Him.

Don’t be afraid to declare your questions to God. Habakkuk begins with a quagmire of questions as we see in Habakkuk 1:2-3: “How long, O Lord, shall I call for help, and you will not hear? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you look casually at wrong?” He’s basically charging the Lord with loafing on the job, being indifferent, and inactive. Do you ever feel that way? God answers Habakkuk but never really answers his “how long” or his “why” questions. Instead, the Lord has him focus on one thing – living by faith in Habakkuk 2:4: “…But the righteous shall live by his faith.”

It’s always faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone, because of the Scriptures alone, for the glory of God alone, that believers can keep moving forward. Believers cannot control the future or all of life circumstance. God is saying, “Hold on to me Habakkuk, because I know what I’m doing.”

Habakkuk 3:1 tells us this chapter contains the prophet’s prayer: “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.” This hard-to-pronounce word means, “to stagger to and fro.” Habakkuk is all over the place as his thoughts, yet he finds a way to move from gloom to glory. He found the secret that moved him from pain to praise. Let’s look at the lessons from this prophet. Habakkuk decided to reverence God.

1. Decide To Reverence God (Habakkuk 3:2-4). Notice how Habakkuk reveres God in verse 2: “O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.” When filled with grief, gaze on the glory of God and learn again of His majesty and mercy, power, and person. Habakkuk like the prophet Isaiah needs a fresh view of God. Even when we don’t understand His actions, Our God deserves our reverence, respect, and worship. Reverence then is godly fear and is used as both a verb and a noun. We reverence Him and hold Him in reverence because of who He is. And what He can do. Throughout the Bible, the word fear is used interchangeably with revere or reverence. Habakkuk’s reverence for God caused him to be silent and consider just who God is.