Will I Get Through This? Series

TEXT: Habakkuk 3

TITLE: Will I get through this?

SERIES: Questions we Ask God!

TOPIC: Suffering

OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, September 21, 2008

PROP.: A lot of times when we go through difficult times or we are going through the valley, we wonder to ourselves: Will I get through this? Our problem can seem big!

INTRODUCTION: Good morning! Today we conclude our series on Questions We Ask God. There have been 2 other tough questions that we have posed to God.

#1. The first question in this series has been: Where Are You God?

#2. The second question in this series has been: God, Are You Really Fair?

Today’s question is: God, Will I Get Through This?

The thing that separates us as people, is not if I’m going to suffer. Everyone suffers! God appoints different times of suffering for different people at different seasons. The thing that separates us as God’s people is HOW you handle it!

So how are you supposed to handle it? I’m going to tell you. Habakkuk chapter three, he moves from questions to answers!

Just a quick rundown of where we’ve been so you will know where we’re going.

God has told Habakkuk that the Babylonian army is going to come and get the nation of Israel back on track.

Habakkuk isn’t so sure he likes God’s plans. He isn’t too sure that God is fair or loving because if that were true, how could God allow His people to suffer?

God assures Habakkuk that what He says will happen WILL happen and that it will serve a purpose…HIS purpose!

So now Habakkuk knowing that suffering is going to come…he is now wondering, “Will I Get Through This?”

T.S.: So Habakkuk goes from confusion, to confidence! Let’s read out text to see what he did to get through this difficult season in his life…

Vs. 1: “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet…”

I. Habakkuk had a time of prayer (vs. 1 - 3)

And your saying, “But man, prayer is hard. I’m really good at worshipping. I have the serving thing down. Giving is not a problem. Coming to church - piece of cake. It’s the prayer thing I have difficulty with. Do you have any suggestions for me?”

Our text does! Let’s read verse 2

2 LORD, I have heard of your fame;

I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.

First, have:

A. Reverence for God’s work! (vs. 2)

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds!”

How did Habakkuk hear of God’s fame? The same way you hear of God’s fame:

1. General revelation

God revealing Himself to everyone! God’s creation is the perfect example of how God works.

Design shouts designer!

ILLUSTRATION: You come home to a beautifully prepared meal, it doesn’t even cross your mind to think that this came from an explosion. Or that this meal was 12 billion years in the making! That the cow evolved into a steak and then cooked itself.

Think about the complexity of the UNIVERSE! Ok? So we learn about God through all we see!

Second way we learn about God is…

2. Through the Written Word.

God’s written a book, and we are pretty animated about this book! If someone were to say something in direct contradiction to this book, you’d see a pretty noticeable reaction! Why? Because this is God’s word! This is how He has chosen (in part) to reveal his character and plans to us! So that brings us together!

The third way we learn about God is…

3. Through other people

Who see and experience God. So we share these stories!

You put all three things together, and you get the FAME of God!

So what does Habakkuk do after he hears the report of God‘s fame? The NIV says, “I stand in awe!” The NASB says, “I fear!”

To better understand this feeling Habakkuk is having, he describes what is going on in verse 16:

“I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.”

I like how one preacher has defined FEAR.

FEAR IS THE ATTITUDE OF HEART THAT SEEKS A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TO THE FEAR SOURCE.

ILLUSTRATION: Man with a gun…you’re going to seek to get a right relationship with the person holding a gun!

What we are learning from Habakkuk is a renewed reverence for God! As long as prayer is just rushing in and babbling some words to the man upstairs; our prayers are not going to very consequential.

But when we have a renewed sense of God’s work; your prayers are going to be sensitive. Reverent. Humble.