A Song of Confidence in the midst of life’s challenges!
By: Ron Crandall
Introduction:
In life we are always surrounded by challenges, circumstances or temptations.
Yet, how do we as Christians respond to Our heavenly Father when things just don’t go the way we think they should?
Do we become angry?
Do we become discontent?
Do we become disenchanted with a Holy God?
What is the response that flows from deep within our spirit man….
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words… if that were vise a versa it would read “ a thousand words show the summation of the picture of our lives.”
For the word says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh…
Do you really trust God?
I want to look this morning at a man who wrote a very small book in the bible, but it speaks loudly of his dependence in God
KING JAMES
Hab 3:17-19
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
NIV:
Hab 3:17-19
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 go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.
(NIV)
Habakkuk was not always the man of God who sang out a song of praise.
In Fact he was like many of us today.
When we wonder where is God?
Why doesn’t he do something about all the pain and suffering?
The wars, the injustice, oppression and diseases that are destroying humanity?
If he were so powerful why doesn’t he act?
If he is so loving why doesn’t he intervene?
Habakkuk shows us that these questions are as old as the seventh century B.C.
So are the answers.
While God may not explain everything to our satifaction, nor are we capable of understanding everything….
He has told us … He assures us , just as we are assured by Habakkuk that His ways are just and righteous, and furthermore, “The just shall live by faith!”
In questioning God:
Hab 1:2
2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! (KJV)
But somewhere along the line Habakkuk got a hold of the fact that God was on his side.
The book of Habakkuk is filled with one man’s perplexing questions- and the Lord’s penetrating answers. God never seems to reproach His servant for raising fundamental issues.
Living by Faith:
Habakkuk probably had little idea of the explosive truth contained in God’s statement to us “the Just shall live by faith!” 2:4
Hab 2:4
4 Behold, his soul, which is lifted up, is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
(KJV)
Rom 1:17
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
(KJV)
Heb 10:38-39
38 Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him."
39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
(NKJ)
This whole chapter #3 is noted by many as Habakkuk’s Psalm (Song)
Listen to David’s Psalm
Ps 16:1-11
1 Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."
(David made a distinction here in four words, “You are my Lord”)
We need to come to an understanding that without God we have no good thing…. Modern day language without God our lives are empty and void.
3 As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.
5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
(NIV)
The bible is full of men and women who in the midst of adversity did not abandon their love for God but, cried out even louder and proclaimed that he was still on the throne!
Faith makes the up look good, the outlook bright, the in look favorable, and the future glorious
Acts 7:54-60
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
(KJV)
Rom 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(KJV)
Paul and Silas sang psalms to the Lord:
Acts 16:22-26
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
Sometimes you will suffer for the Gospels sake
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
Paul knew he was free, Yet, he was on a mission:
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
(KJV)
The product of the mission, is someone’s Salvation,
not personal safety
not retaliation
But Ministry
Habbakkuk says it like this:
Hab 3:19
19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
(KJV)
Hab 3:19
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.
(NIV)
Faith came singing into my room
And other guests took flight;
Fear and anxiety,grief and gloom
Sped out into the night.
I wondered that such a peace could be.
But, Faith said gently, “Don’t you see
“they really cannot live with me.”
Invitation:
