HABAKKUK’S LESSON: GOD’S WAITING ROOM*
By God Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
If you don’t move along quickly this is a two part lesson.
I. DEFINITIONS:
A. WAIT:
To stay in place with expectation. --- To delay service or answer. --- To await. --- To look forward. To be ready, available.
B. PATIENCE:
The capacity, habit, or fact of bearing pains, trials calmly or without complaining.
Forbearance under provocation or strain.
Steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, adversity.
Able or willing to bear.
C. PATIENT:
A PERSON AWAITING OR UNDER MEDICAL CARE AND TREATMENT.
D. Would we rather await medical care than divine care?
E. WAITING ROOM:
A room for the use of persons who are waiting.
II. WHAT IS GOD’S WAITING ROOM?
A. I WANT TO MAKE A SIMPLE LITTLE DEFINITION:
GOD’S WAITING ROOM IS THE TIME FROM STARTING TO PRAY
AND BELIEVE UNTIL YOU EXPERIENCE YOUR TANIGBLE ANSWER.
B. I ALSO WANT TO ADD A SIMPLE TRUTH:
DEALING WITH HUMAN BEANS CAN TAKE TIME AND GREAT EFFORT
AND EVEN GREATER PATIENCE.
( When my second son was little instead of saying human beings, he called them human beans.)
Ephes. 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Psalm 112:7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
III. WE AMERICANS HAVE SOME VERY NICE WAITING ROOMS.
A. I was traveling with a friend, we were hungry so he saw a White Castle, and we pulled off the interstate.
We waited and then pulled up to the drive through and gave our order.
We waited and then pulled up and paid for our orders.
We then waited and pulled up to the pick up window.
We waited and the lady came to the window and asked us to pull up and wait for our order.
The man driving said, NO! THIS IS A FAST FOOD JOINT AND WE WILL NOT PULL UP AND WAIT.
He felt we had waited long enough.
I was so embarrassed I could have crawled under the seat.
It may be a fast food joint, but sometimes in life you just have to wait.
B. I went to BIG O this week to get my oil changed.
While I was there the man noticed I had a flat tire on my trailer.
I was in the waiting room several hours.
There were signs on the door, because of insurance no one is allow in the garage area.
The men pulled my truck in to change the oil, WAIT!
A man came in and told me I had a flat tire on my trailer.
Sure enough --- WAIT A LITTLE LONGER.
Well as they were changing the tires on my trailer, they broke two lug nuts on one wheel, this meant WAIT --- SOME MORE.
They could not find the right size lug nuts --- WAIT SOME MORE.
The men tried to weld in a lug nut that kept spinning around --- WAIT!
That did not work, so they had to get out a sander and sand off where they welded ---WAIT!
I talked to a lady from the WKU athletes department, she was from Michigan.
I ate a peach pie and drank a diet coke.
I took a walk.
I talked to one of the workers about his tattoos.
I walked some more.
They had a newspaper, I read the newspaper.
I called Linda several times on the cell phone.
I watched some on their color TV.
I walked some more. I learned that waiting is part of working on a car.
C. Once a little boy and his family were sitting in the WAITING ROOM, and the Dad was complaining for being there so long.
THE LITTLE BOY SAID: DAD THAT IS WHY THEY CALL US PATIENT!
D. Now many Doctor’s offices have used wisdom.
You will wait here for a while, then they will move you to another area and wait a little closer, then wait in the room. This makes one’s waiting feel less
than sitting in one place.
E. HOSPITALS HAVE MANY SPECIALIZED WAITING ROOMS.
I READ ONCE THAT UP TO ONE THIRD OF A GOOD HOSPITAL IS
NOTHING MORE THAN WAITING AREAS.
There are waiting rooms where you go in...
There are surgery waiting areas, Intensive Care waiting areas, Emergency Room Waiting, Testing area waiting and holding rooms, Out patient waiting areas,
Delivery room waiting areas, Ambulatory waiting areas, waiting areas on each floor, holding rooms, children’s rooms to wait, plus think of all the waiting for
waiting for the elevators to pick you up.
F. THE LITTLE BOY WISHES HIS DAD HAD PATIENCE WHILE HE WAS FISHING WAS THE SAME KIND OF PATIENCE HE HAD WHEN HE WAS HOME.
G. Have you ever had to wait on your food at home, then fussed when you placed a bite in your mouth --- the food was too hot?
H. I HAD A FRIEND IN THE ARMY HE DESCRIBED IT AS:
HURRY UP AND WAIT!
I. LIFE CARRIES A LOT OF WAIT!
Waiting Room:
A room for the use of persons who are waiting.
IV. THE LESSON FROM HABAKKAK IS GOD HAS A GREAT WAITING ROOM! HABAKKUK HAD ONE DESIRE AND THAT WAS TO KNOW GOD AND GET HIS PEOPLE TO HEAR THE WORD AND COME TO GOD BEFORE THE JUDGMENT AND PUNISHMENT WOULD COME.
A. Habakkuk loved to talk and walk with God. They were friends.
B. Habakkuk means embrace, hug, or to hold near and dear.
C. Habakkuk’s book is very short, BUT VERY POWERFUL.
It has only 3 chapters.
56 verses,
1,476 words
It contains 12 questions to God and the people
But more than anything Habakkuk has 12 messages from God to the people.
D. ONLY FOUR OF THE BIBLE WRITING MEN CLAIMED PERSONALLY TO BE
A PROPHET:
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Habakkuk
Haggai
E. HABAKKUK HAD A TERRIBLE BURDEN FOR JUDAH, HIS PEOPLE, HIS NATION.
Habakkuk was hurt and disappointed. He had seen so much strife and contention.
As the spiritual leader he saw so much contention, disputing, quarreling --- that the ringing in his ears made him sick to his stomach.
F. There seemed to be great opposition to everything and especially the call to revival.
G. HABAKKUK HAD SPENT A LONG SEASON IN PERSONAL INTERCESSORY PRAYER.
H. AT FIRST, HABAKKUK’S LONG PRAYER SEEMED TO GO UNNOTCIED BY GOD, and he was heart broken and longed to hear the WORD of God for him and his nation.
I. The people seemed to be BENT to sin.
There was so much strife and gloom.
J. Habakkuk desired for GOD TO BE RAISED INTO HIS PLACE OF HOLINESS.
HE DESIRED TO SEE GOD VINDICATED AND PRAISED. This little preacher wanted to know God in His Fullness.
TEXT:
Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will
not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: BUT THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY HIS FAITH!
V. HABAKKUK IS A MAN, AND HIS BOOK TELLS OF A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY FROM DOUBT AND FEAR TO WORSHIP AND TRUST. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO LIVE --- OR DIE --- BY FAITH AND BY TRUST. HABAKKUK STARTS HIS BOOK COMPLAINING.
A. WHY CAN’T WE SEE HOLY GROUND? WHY CAN’T WE KNOW GOD’S HIGHER POWERS?
B. SOMETIMES WE NEED A CHANGE OF FOCUS TO RELEASE GOD’S PLAN.
HE FIXED HIS HEART AND GREW NEW HOPE.
C. IT IS TIME TO PLAY MUSIC AND REJOICE!
Habakkuk 3:19 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.
D. Habakkuk’s book starts in gloom and despair.
This preacher is overwhelmed and worried.
Habukkuk’s book closes in great victory, he changes his focus from looking at people and all the problems and strife that is part of daily life to FOCUS ON GOD.
B. HABAKKUK’S LESSON IS WE HAVE TO LEARN TO LOVE TO WAIT AND HAVE COMPLETE TRUST IN GOD AND HIS PLAN.
C. HABAKKUK’S COMPLAINING TURNED INTO THE WISDOM THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL, AND GOD IS MORE THAN ENOUGH, THAT GOD IS SUFFICIENT IN SEASONS OF TROUBLE.
Habakkuk 3:17 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.
VI. THE MAIN THING IS TO KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING! BY THE WAY, WHAT IS THE MAIN THING? ASK HABAKKUK?
A. HABAKKUK’S CALL IS THAT PEOPLE BE FAITHFUL TO THEIR POST OF DUTY, AND ALLOW GOD TO RELEASE HIS PLAN.
Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
B. THE JEWISH TALMUD SUGGEST THAT:
1. MOSES GAVE 613 LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS.
2. DAVID REDUCED THIS TO 10.
3. ISAIAH REDUCED THEM FURTHER TO 2.
4. BUT HABAKKUK REDUCED ALL THE TEACHINGS TO ONE LAW:
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!
VII. IN THREE SHORT CHAPTERS WE SEE FROM DOOM AND GLOOM TO VICTORY AND TRUST.
A. HABAKKUK’S CHAPTER ONE STARTS COMPLAINING, IN BITTERNESS, DISCOMFORT AND DISCONTENTION.
1. A COMPLAINING SPIRIT IS A SYMPTOM, I DON’T UNDERSTAND WAITING.
2. WAITING CAN BE ONE OF THE GREATEST TOOLS IN SATAN’S TOOL BOX --- IF WE WAIT IN FEAR, DOUBT AND WORRY.
3. WAITING IS THE SUMPREME TEST OF FAITH.
WE DEMAND IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION.
B. HABUKKUK COMES TO A GREAT TRUTH IN CHAPTER TWO:
1. God is not instant oats.
2. We must wait on God and for the answers.
3. WE MUST WAIT TRUSTING GOD.
4. TO TRUST GOD REQUIRES FAITH.
5. Faith is not just a doctrine.
6. FAITH MUST BE A WAY OF LIFE.
C. FAITH IS DECLARING GOD IS ENOUGH,
I SHALL DEPEND ON HIM ALONE!
D. FAITH IS MORE THAN AN HUMBLE: " WELL --- THAT’ MUST BE OK?"
FAITH DEMANDS FAITHFULNESS.
FAITHFULNESS DEMANDS A STEADFAST OBEDIENCE TO THE CROSS.
VIII. DIVINE WAITING HAS A PURPOSE AND A PLAN.
WAITING AND THE FIRE CAN IMPROVE OUR VALUE.
Psalm 37:7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
A. Let us take a little bit of metal, it may be worth $10.
1. Take that same metal put it in the fire and wait, and you now have a horse shoe worth $40.
2. Take that horse shoe back to the fire, work with it and wait and you make needles. The worth of the needles would be around $115.
3. Take the needles back to the fire, heat them up, work with them, and you now have knife blades worth $2,500.
4. Take that same metal and heat it up higher, refine it better, and make computer chips worth $250,000.
5. What is the difference from $10 to $250,000, trusting the flame and working with more effort?
B. WE CAN NOT SEEM TO LOOK AT WAITING AS GOD DOES.
C. THE REAL ISSUE OF WAITING IS A LACK OF TRUST.
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
IX. TO STAND --- IS ACTIVE DUTY, NOT PASSIVE --- NOT IDLE --- NOT PARALYZED --- NOT LACKING IN ENERGY OR WILL ---
A. Do we trust God?
B. Do we trust God’s plan?
C. Will we learn to grow and thrive in the waiting process?
Ephes. 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
WILL WE APPLY HABAKKUK’S REAL LESSON OF WAITING TO OUR
DAILY TRUST?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Be a partner? Pass this on to another?
