“From Confusion to Confidence”
- TEN STEPS TO MOVING FROM CONFUSION TO CONFIDENCE:
1) We must honestly admit to ourselves that we are confused.
2) Bring all your questions, doubts, and feelings directly to God and talk to Him about them.
3) Give God the opportunity to reply.
4) Establish a spiritual context in which to think through the problem.
5) Recognize that sometimes God will keep you waiting from an answer.
6) Understand what it means to live by faith.
7) Keep in mind that no matter how dark and difficult things may appear, God is always in control.
8) Make it a daily habit to worship the Lord and open your heart to Him in fervent prayer and praise.
9) Remind yourself of the evidences of God’s faithfulness in the past and constantly talk to yourself about them
10) Decide to face everything that comes not in a spirit of resignation but in the spirit of rejoicing
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"From Confusion to Confidence”
We are facing one of the momentous times in human history. Millions of the earth’s inhabitants are bewildered. One of the most recent scares to hit humanity- the dreadful disease “AIDS” is causing growing consternation in all parts of the world.
The question that faces us at this hour is this- how can we, as God’s people, walk through life with confidence and poise?
We will focus in the prophet Habakkuk. Although, he begins his book in utter confusion he ends as we see in a spirit of abounding confidence.
“The Lord God..... will make my feet like deer’s feet”
(Habakkuk 3:19)
How could Habakkuk discover the formula that enabled him to walk with the surefootedness of a deer across the rough terrain of his times?
We know very little about the personal details of Habakkuk‘s life- his home, his parents or his occupation- but we know that he was a Hebrew and a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah.
This is the only book in the Bible, which is entirely a conversation between two persons- Habakkuk and God.
Habbakuk, it seems, begin his prophetic ministry by asking God a pointed question:- - How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” (Hab 1:2)
- Why dost Thou make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness? (1:3)
Like many other prophets of the Old Testament, Habakkuk was perplexed and frustrated by the continuance of evil. He could not understand why God did not intervene to restrain the godless nations around him. The Almighty’s apparent slowness in dealing with this issue produced within him a good deal of confusion and concern.
“ Confusion” says Dr Clyde Narramore,”is one of the biggest stumbling blocks in the Christian life. It has brought many a Christen to the edge of despair”
Are you confused about something in your spiritual life at this moment? Habakkuk was confused and frustrated over God’s inaction in the face of evil. Perhaps a similar confusion exists in your heart as, day after day, you pick up the newspaper and read about the appalling things that are going on in the world- rape murder, corruption, violence, political intrigue, lust, lawlessness and so on.
@ What do we do when confusion hits us in the way it hit the prophet Habakkuk?
@ How do we handle ourselves at those times when nothing makes sense?
The first step is --------------->
- We must honestly admit to ourselves that we are confused.
Proverb 28: 18 “Be honest and you will be safe”
It is very difficult to acknowledge and admit that we are confused. We tend to deny the fact and pretend that everything is fine. But that is dishonest- and few things cause more anxiety than dishonesty. The first thing, then, is honesty- honesty with God, honesty with other and honesty with ourselves. Whenever we are faced with confusion- or, for that matter, any difficult situation that confronts is- we usually take on of four steps.
1. Flee it!
2. Fight it!
3. Forget it!
4. Face it!
The first three ends in failure- only the fourth will get us anywhere. So, fix it clearly on your mind that the 1st step in dealing with confusion is admitting it. Acknowledge the fact that you are feeling confused.
The truth is, most of us are unwilling to ‘feel’ negative emotions, and we try to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Our personalities are equipped with adaptive devices called “defense mechanism” which comes to our aid at such times can help us rid ourselves of negative feelings by either suppressing them or repressing them. Suppression involves pushing them down just below the level of our conscious mind into the sub-conscious, where we say: “I won’t think about that now- it’s too hurtful.”
Repression involves pushing them down into the conscious where they are completely forgotten.
These ‘defense mechanisms’ may get us temporarily off the hook by relieving the anxiety we feel at having to face an unacceptable emotion, but they really don’t solve the problem. The only way to real growth and wholeness is a willingness to face feelings, no matter how terrifying and threatening they may be. We must not fall into a trap of thinking that refusing to acknowledge a problem makes it go away.
Gene Autry the famous singing cowboy said, “I have always followed the rule of one hundred percent honesty in everything- honesty towards God, honesty towards others and honesty towards myself”
The second step is --------------->
2.Bring all your questions, doubts, and feelings directly to God and talk to Him about them.
Habakkuk did what everyone should do whenever they fail to comprehend the ways of the Almighty- he talked directly to God about it. So whenever you feel confused about the state of the world- and who doesn’t? - Don’t become too concerned about entering into a dialogue with other people. First, enter into a dialogue with God. Problems must always be talked out- and who better to talk than to God.
Dr Jay Adams, a well-known Christian counselor, says that whenever anyone comes to him for counseling he begins by asking three preliminary questions:
1. What is your problem?
2. What have you done about it?
3. What do you expect me to do about it?
He says that one of the things that has amazed him about the replies he gets to the second question- “What have you done about it”? - Is the fact that although many say that have sought help from family, friends, or even books, few say that they have talked to God about their problem. I have often wondered whether there would be such a demand for Christian counseling if people made it a habit to talk to God about their problems before talking them over with anyone else. I don’t mean to say that Christian counseling is invalid for according to Scripture, it is a God ordained gift (Rom 12:8)
I am convinced however, that if Christians developed the habit of first going to God with their problems, they would make the surprising discovery that on most occasions, they would have no need to consult anyone. We must learn the spiritual principle of having a dialogue with God before we enter into a dialogue with anyone else. Why is this so important? Because our spiritual dependence must be rooted in God and not in anyone else?
We have seen the importance of bringing all our doubts and confusion directly to God, the next question we must settle is this:
How do we go about the task of telling the Almighty exactly what is in our hearts? Do we address Him in ecclesiastical language and in pious tones?
No, we must talk to Him naturally, openly, and honestly- telling Him precisely what we think and how we feel
Habakkuk 1:1-4
1. The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2. How long, O Lord will I call for help,
And Thou will not hear?
I cry out to Thee,
“Violence!”
Yet Thou dost not save.
3. Why dost Thou make me see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, destruction and violence
are before me;
Strife exists and contention arises.
4 Therefore, the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld.
For the wickedness, surround the righteous;
Therefore, justice comes out perverted.
We find a man addressing to God in a manner that at first seems irreverent and impertinent. We see something similar in Psalm 13:1 “ How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?”
Habakkuk was upset because God had not answered his prayers. You can almost hear the anger and frustration in his words as he hammers on the door of heaven: “Lord, I’m confused. Why don’t You answer my prayer? How much longer are You going to allow this? When will You do something about these tremendous problems? Did God tell him to shut up or rephrase his questions in more acceptable language? Does He withdraw from the prophet in an attitude of disgust? No! God can take it. It may not have occurred to you before, but it is a truth that is exemplified over and over again in scripture- God is more patient and tolerant than any of His people.
Beneath confusion, there is usually an element of anger. It may not be recognized, but it is there nevertheless.
WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF HABAKKUK’S DEEP INNER CONFUSION?
There were several reasons for it, but the major one was the fact that God did not appear to be interested in answering his prayer: “How long, O lord, must I call for help but you did not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save?” (Hab 1:2)
No confusion can be greater than that which comes through what we call “unanswered prayer”- especially when we know that what we are praying for is according to the divine will. You have prayed for things that God has promised to give- but still the answers do not come.
I have asked this question many times, “Why God you are not answered my prayer when I know I am praying according to His will?
Teresa of Avila is reported to have told God on one occasion when she did not receive an answer to a prayer which she knew to be in line with the divine will: “Lord, it’s no wonder You have so few friends if You treat them all this way” How silent and inactive God appears to be at times. If you are experiencing the “silence of God” at this moment in your life, then you will have some sympathy for the way Habakkuk felt. It may not be much help to say that others have felt the way you feel- but it is true nevertheless.
The 3rd step is ----------------
- Give God the opportunity to reply
After telling God what he thought of Him be sat back and listened to the divine response. One of the things we must remember is that prayer involves not only talking to God but also God talking to us. As soon as Habakkuk had finished speaking and was ready to listen, God started answering the prophet but not in the way that he expected.
First, God tells him that despite all appearances to the contrary. He is not inactive “Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told “(Vs. 5)
It is obvious that God was not doing what the prophet imagined-standing back and allowing things to proceed unchecked. God has already put into operation His plans and purposed, but in a way that Habbakuk would find unbelievable and unacceptable. One of the reasons why we go through times of spiritual confusion and frustration is although we are big enough to ask questions, we’re not big enough to receive the answer.
When the Lord announced that He was about to use the evil and cruel Chaldeans to prune His people and to bring them to heel, Habakkuk was astounded. The Chaldeans, a tribe from South Babylonia, were terrorist who loved to plunder and torture their enemies.
Listen to God’s description of the Chaldeans armies in the passage we are looking at today: “……………… they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. Their horses are swifter then leopards, fiercer than wolves……………. They fly like vultures swooping to devour…………… “(Vv. 7-8)
Habakkuk had his prayer answered, but not in the way, he expected. The prophet is now more confused than ever. First, God took an exceptionally long time to answer him, and when he did, the answer He have was more difficult to receive than the silence. Habakkuk was quite clear in his mind what he wanted God to do- chastise the nation of Israel and send revival. But when God replied that He was going to use the evil and cruel Chaldeans army to punish them, the prophet was non- plussed. This is not an uncommon experience in the Christian life- getting an answer we do not expect.
When Augustine pleaded with God for light to overcome the dark problems he faced, God gave him light – but the 1st thing it revealed was Augustine unchastity & sensuality, we take certain risks when we pray for God sometimes tells us things we might not want to know.
One preacher has said, “He who asks God for light must not complain if the light scorches at times with its fierce and naked heat, and he who asks for guidance must not be surprised if God points him to paths he would rather not tread”
Not only Habakkuk but also Isaiah knew something of this. Isaiah saw the people he loved broken by the might of the enemy. He saw their homes and cities shattered by the most ruthless of foes.
“My mind reels; my heart races; I am gripped by awful fear. All rest at night- so pleasant one- is gone; I lie awake trembling” (Isa 21:10)
Perhaps, at times, it is better to remain in the darkness of ignorance then to tremble in the light of illumination.
The 4th step is--------------- - Establish a spiritual context in which to think through the problem:
Hab 1:12-15
Habakkuk focuses his attention not on his feelings or his circumstances but on the nature and character of God. One by one, he singles out some of the attributes of God and reminds himself of the characteristic of God’s nature:
Hab: 1:12: Art thou not from everlasting, (HIS ETERNAL NATURE) O LORD my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die. (HIS FAITHFULNESS) O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment ;( HIS JUDGEMENT) and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.
Hab:1:13: Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. ( HIS HOLINESS) wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
Hab:1:14: And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them? (HIS OMNIPOTENCE)
Hab: 1:15: They take up all of them with the angle; they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore, they rejoice and are glad.
Habakkuk steadies himself by reminding himself who God is. You see, it is only when we understand who God is that we will understand what God does. Habakkuk was saying in effect: “I DON’T KNOW WHAT You are doing, Lord, but I know this- You are a God of justice, of faithfulness, of holiness, of purity and of power” It is a law of the spiritual life that the more we understand God’s character and nature, the more certain we will be about the rightness of His decision.
One of the things that concerns about many modern day Christians is that they know little about the nature of God. Someone has said “It is only when we understand who God is that we will understand what God does.” And “we must be careful not to interpret God’s character by what we see, but what we see by God’s character.
J. I Packer in his book Knowing God says, “The ignorance of God- ignorance both of His ways and of the practice of communion with Him- lies at the root of much of the church’s weakness today.”
It is so very true. The modern church generally speaking looks at God through the wrong end of a telescope and ends up reducing the Almighty to Pygmy proportions. And what is the result? Our pews are filled with Pygmy Christians who have only a superficial knowledge of the God they are pledged to serve.
We have seen that to move from confusion to confidence is to establish a context in which to think through our problems- and that context must be the nature and character of God.
The art of navigation depends to a large extent on the existence of fixed points. The fixed point can be a star, a lighthouse, or a headland; it thus not really matter what is providing it is fixed and solid. Granted the certitude of a fixed point, the navigator can take his bearing and steer his course-He cannot take his bearing from a cloud, it moves- it is vaporous and changing and, in the course of time, disappears. Navigation is possible because of the existence of fixed points, and by constant reference to these point’s seamen may their way around the world.
The voyage of life is like that- one must have fixed points from which to take the bearing. The attributes of God are fixed points. His love, faithfulness, justice, purity, holiness, and power- to name but few- are established parts of God’s nature. And the more safely and reliably we will make our way across the sea of life. Many things in this universe are subject to change- but not the attributes and nature of God. What He was, He is, and what He is, He was. And what He was and is He ever will be- world without end.
Martin Lloyd Jones said, “When you start to think about any particular difficulty you must not focus on your immediate problem. Begin further back. Apply the strategy of the indirect approach”.
How do we do that? We must do what Habakkuk did and remind ourselves of the things about which we are absolutely certain, things, which are entirely beyond doubt. In other words- the fixed points, the eternal nature of God, God’s self-existence, God’s holiness are a fixed point. “Hab 1:12”.
The next attribute of God on which Habakkuk focuses is that of faithfulness; “We will not die” {Hab 1: 12} Habakkuk is recalling that God is the God of the covenant. Whatever the Chaldeans army might do, it could never exterminate Judah, because God was bound and committed to His people as a covenant relationship that could never be broken.
Having focused on this four aspects of God’s characters- His eternal nature, self existence, holiness and faithfulness- Habakkuk is now able to see his problem from a different prospective “…. you have appointed them to execute judgement……..you have ordained them to punish…….”{vs 12}.
Can you understand what he is saying? He is beginning to perceive an answer to his problem and reason thus” God must be raising up the Chaldeans for Judah’s benefit. Of this I can be certain. It is not that God is incapable of restraining them. In the light of His nature and attributes, such a thing would be impossible. I am not able to understand it fully, but I know that God cannot and not do anything that is contrary to His character.” If that is true- then why panic?
If you are confused about something that God is doing- or not doing- in your life, then I invite you to apply the principle we have discussed.
The 5th step is ----------------- - Recognize that sometimes God will keep you waiting for an answer.
First we must make a point that learning how to wait quietly for God to answer prayer and bring about His purposes is one of the hardest lessons in the Christians life, and can mean the difference between peace and panic in your life. God answers every prayer, but it has been said that the answer may come in one of four forms.
1. Yes
1. No
2. Here is something better
3. Wait to see that what I will do.
ü The 1st is easy to handle- we just open our hands and take what God gives.
ü The 2nd response is little more difficult- but just as kind as the first.
ü The 3rd is also to receive.
ü The 4th –“wait’-is the most difficult to handle, but just as loving as the others. God delays His answer for many reasons but the most common reasons are this: to deepen our character so that we won’t become spiritual crybabies when we don’t get everything at once.
Have the urgent questions you have put to God gone unanswered? Then took with me at how Habakkuk found himself in the same situation- and how he came through it.
Thou art of purer eyes to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than thee {vs. 13}
Although Habakkuk had come a long way in dealing with the fact of spiritual confusion, his perspective is still not clear. After affirming the fact that God is “of purer eyes then to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness”{vs13} he presents another provoking question.
Vs/3b…………………………
Clearly, Habakkuk is still struggling with this idea that God is going to use the cruel Chaldeans to punish his people. What he is really saying this: “If this is true, O Lord, that your eyes are too pure to look on evil, then how can You allow the Chaldeans to do this to Your people? Judah might be bad, but the Chaldeans are a thousands times worse”.
Vs 14/17……………..
The idea of God using the Chaldeans the discipline the people of Judah. And he makes his protest in the most extravagant language……………….
God uses the unrighteous to discipline the righteous has always been a problem to the people of God. Throughout the ages, believers from all walk of life have grappled with it, and so now must we.
a. Why does God use unbelievers to discipline believers- Non Christians to refine Christians?
b. Why does He use an unconverted wife or husband to chasten a partner who is a believer, a non-Christian parent to discipline a Christian so or daughter?
TO CHASTEN AND REFINE US.
Consider with me for a moment the state of the church right now. Though there are evidences of spiritual advance in certain quarters and in certain countries, generally speaking, the Church in a bad way. It is lethargic, indolent, prayerless, unrepentant, and resistant to the Holy Spirit control.
What can God do to bring it to the place of conformity to His will? He can do many things, but one sure of getting the church’s attention is to allow to come under pressure from hostile forces. It is a sad admission to have to make, but the church has always been its best when fighting with its back to the wall.
We must now ask ourselves this piercing and pointed questions: If God saw it necessary to discipline His church, by allowing hostile forces to put it under pressure, what could he use? There are many things but I think one of the instruments the Lord will use to refine His people is Islam unless the church moves quickly to repentance.
The church generally speaking seems to have little or no concern about its spiritual condition. It is playing when it ought to be convicting. The church must accept the fact that if it does not respond directly to the gentle reproofs of the Word and the Spirit. Then it will have to face the harsher reproof of circumstances. And as history records, those circumstances can be must bitter and severe. It may seem strange and contradictory to us that God will use the unrighteous to refine the righteous, but as scripture and history both shows, this is what he does. God uses the strangest instruments to discipline His people- sometimes the last we would expect.
Habakkuk 1:17……………………
Habakkuk asks God a question to which he gets no reply. So what does he do? He does not attempt to rationalize his position or form a premature conclusion. He certainly does not say: “I do not understand all this so therefore I am bound to conclude that God doesn’t have an answer to give.”
No, he acted in the way every one of us ought to act when faced with this situation- he committed the problem to God and left it with Him. Habakkuk moved from the place of questioning to the place of waiting. There is no pertulance, no sense of being ignored by God. He simply says “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint”{2:1}
Habakkuk willingness was the turning point in his spiritual confusion. Today it can be yours too.
The 6th step ------------------ - Understand what it means to live by faith.
Remind yourself that the future is in God’s hand and that he always knows the end from the beginning. We don’t know how long Habakkuk had to wait for his answer, but immediately prior to receiving it, the prophet is commanded to ‘ write down the revelation and make it plan on tablet so that a herald may run with it”{Hab2: 2} The words “write down the revelation” indicates that God’s answer is to be in the form of a supernatural revelation. The words “make it plan on tablets” indicate that the revelation is not for Habakkuk but for others as well- hence it has to be in permanent form. And the words “ so that a herald may run with it” indicate that it must be written clearly. A further reason why the revelation must be recorded in writing could be to emphasize the immutability of its content, for future circumstances can every often appear to deny a Word that God has given and suggest that He has changed His mind.
The words “write down the revelation and make it plan”{Hab 2:2} show that God was about to reveal to Habakkuk something that was going to take place at a future and as you know, that is what we call “prophecy”
2Peter 1:21…………..
“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false”{2:3} The time for the fulfillment is fixed by God and it will come to pass at the exact moment that God foreordains. God told Habakkuk things that would happen long before they come to pass. The last element of prophecy is that it will be fulfilled: “Write down the revelation and make it plain …….for the revelation awaits an appointed time” The events God foretells are certain to take place- and in God’s time. The revelation may seem to be delayed’ but nothing can prevent or frustrate its fulfillment.
Romans 4:21…….
We come to one of the most wonderful statement in scripture: “the just shall live by faith” {Hab 2:4}. The verse is quoted several times in the New Testament and is familiar to almost all Christian. What is not so familiar is the statement prior to it. “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright……..”.And if we fail to focus on that first statement, then we will miss the sense of what God is saying to Habakkuk. Join the two statements together and you will notice that they present two sides of a picture- the man who is full of unbelief and the man who is full of faith. There are only two attitudes we can adopt to life in this world-one is the attitude of faith and the attitude of unbelief.
A man’s belief, “says Dr Albert Ellis, a well known modern day psychologist, determines both his conduct and his character”. Either we take the Word of God and live by it- or we do not. The Biblical way is living by faith. Listen to the word given to Habakkuk once again: “The just shall live by his faith”{Hab 2:3}. Faith is taking the word of God and relying on it. It involves believing what God says, simply and solely because He said it.
May think that the life of faith is reserved only for those Christians who go into full time Christian work, trusting God to meet their financial and physical needs. The life of faith, however, means more than that- it is living day by day under the controlling principle that God is true to His word.
Permit me to ask this personal question:
What is the controlling principle in your life?
Is it the expertise you have gained from years of education and training?
Or is it the Word of God and its clear portrayal of the fact that the things of time are merely a preparation for what is to come?
Living by faith means that we live on God’s side of the great Divide of faith and unbelief.
The 7th step is--------------- - Keep in mind no matter how dark and difficult things may appear, God is always in control.{Hab 2:5-20}
There are five “woes” that are spell out not only the doom of Chaldeans, but the end of those who choose the way of sin. Everything that is evil is under God’s judgement. Though the Chaldeans would rise up and flourish, the boundaries of their prosperity were clearly drawn up by God.
1st woe: {Vs 6-8}. It is to do with the way in which the Chaldeans will find their attempts at the sequestration of God’s people flung back in their faces as they themselves experience what it means to stripped of their possession.
2nd woe: {Vs 9-12} it spells out the punishment of Chaldeans will receive of getting rich at the expense of the poor. The very houses they have built through unjust gain will cry out against them and the eventual cost of their sinful lifestyle will be the forfeiture of their own lives.
3rd woe: {Vs 12:14} It pronounces God’s verdict on them for the prosperity they have gained through murdering and plundering other nations.
Why does God allow it? Why does He permit nations to rise up and inflict cruelty and horror on others? He allows out for a wise and particular purpose- a purpose that many find difficult to comprehend. What is that purpose? This: He allows it for wise evil nations to arise so that the rest of the world might see in them a visual aid of what happens when people attempt to pit their strength against God and His moral laws. And what does happen? They are brought dawn and smashed into the ground.
Isn’t this reality in history? Think of great powerful empires such as Egypt, Babylon, Greece and Rome. The time came when God’s woe was pronounced against them and put into effect. And remember this: that principle is still in effect today. God’s woe is still being pronounced on all those nations who have chosen their own way instead of God. They have temporary success- we must be prepared for that- but as surely as night follows day, they will fall. The ultimate triumph of good over evil is certain. Let there be no doubt about it: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the water cover the sea.”{Vs14}
4th Woe: {vs. 15-17}. It has to do with the ‘scorched earth’ policy operated by the Chaldeans, which involved deforestation and the destruction of animals.{Deut 20:19;Jonah 4:11}. Such outrage, says God, carried within it the seeds of it own destruction: “You cut down the forests of Lebanon- now you will be cut down! You terrified the wild animals….. Now terror will strike you’{v.17TLB}.
5th Woe:{vs 18-19}. This woe is uttered upon the idolaters and exposes the inexplicable folly of his practice. The words “Woe to those who command their lifeless wooden idols to arise and save them, who calls out to the speechless stone to tell them what to do”{Vs 18TLB} demonstrate that idolatry is not something that is innocuous; indeed, it is deeply injurious because it destroys man’s basic interllegeience. As someone has put it: “The worst thing about idolatry is to be the one who practices the idolatry”. How sad that, right before our eyes we see history repeating itself.
As we see the five woes which God pronounced upon the Chaldeans we come to the conclusion that sin has no future. Amos 2: 13 says, “I will make your steps collapse” Is this a fact or fiction? It is a fact. The more evil advances the more its “steps collapse”.
Having considered the five woes, which God pronounces on the cruel Chaldeans, what is our conclusion?
We come back to what we said at the beginning of this section- no matter how dark and difficult things may appear, God is always in control. The Chaldeans would rise and be permitted to commit great attrocites, but God would rise and be permitted to discipline Judah. The Chaldeans had not direct knowledge of God’s will. They would plan their attacks, ravage the cities, Marshall their armies simply to satisfy their own lusts for power, but God would use their purposes to carry out His. When, however, it was all over, they would have to face the judgement of God for their inhuman practices.
Hab 2:20
God knows what He is doing, even when circumstances seems to be speeding downhill like a car out of control. The phrase “Let all the earth be silent before him” includes everything and everybody- the godly as well as the heathen. Sometimes God speaks pretty straight to us- just as He is doing here- and tells us things that we might not want to know, but things we certainly need to know.
God is saying, in effect: “Stop asking endless questions such as: Why does God do this?” and “why does God do that?” Understand the fact that I know what I am doing and that I am the Lord of history”. Once we make up our minds that God knows what He is doing, then all confusion vanishes. And that applies not only to the personal issues of life but to the global ones as well.
The same word that brought comfort and illumination to Habakkuk’s hear can, if we let it, comfort our own hearts. If you look at almost any day’s newspaper, you will find reports of rape, murder, crime, injustice, and corruption. But if you turn from your newspaper and look up at God you will yourself looking at the Ultimate, the Absolute. And what will happen? Instead of your heart being filled with fear, it will become strangely peaceful. Why? Because you will realize that God is at the center of His universe and He is working out his purposes. And as someone said: “ He who knows what God is doing need never ask why.”
The 8th step is: ------- - Make it a daily habit to worship the lord and open your heart to him in fervent prayer and praise {Habakkuk 3:1-3}
Habakkuk confesses himself to be overwhelmed by things which God has revealed to him: “I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord”{v. 2}
One of the inevitable results of spending time in God’s presence, contemplating Him and listening to His voice is that there arises within the heart a spontaneous desire to worship Him.
It is one of the Laws of life that you become like the thing on which you focus. Focus on money and you will become like it- hard and metallic.
Focus on getting even with those who act spitefully toward you and you will become like them- mean and inconsiderate. Focus on God and you will become like Him- good, gracious and generous.
It’s interesting to notice that so strong in the emotional content in Chapter 3 that it begins with that words: “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth. The word ‘shigionoth’ {plural of shigaton} is believed to indicate the tempo at which this prayer was originally meant to be sung. The tempo was to be strong one, corresponding to the profound emotions raised through the words and concepts of this chapter.
Why were Habakkuk’s emotions so aroused? Because his soul have been set ablaze by a thrilling revelation of God. One of the things we must understand about the Christian life is that our worship of God is largely determined by our understanding of Him. Our worship of God depends, as the word suggests, on how much ‘worth’ we ascribe to Him. The greater “worth” you see in Him, the greater worship you will give to Him.
We look at now at how Habakkuk moves from worship to prayer-a prayer, by the way, which has become one of the best-known petitions of scripture. “O Lord, revive your work in the midst……………………………remember mercy”{vs2}
We cannot help but notice, in this prayer the prophet’s attitude toward God has completely changed. There is no longer any question of His way. He does not even protests at what God had told him about the terrible things that are going to happen. Nor does he petition God to reverse His judgement. Instead, there is humble recognition that what God says He is about to do is perfectly proper and that the punishment that is to come upon Judah is one that she deserves. Habakkuk’s prayer contains an attitude of complete submission to the will of God.
How did Habakkuk arrive at this position?
I think it was because he had changed his spiritual focus from gazing at Judah to gazing at God. When Habakkuk focused his gaze on Judah and the Chaldeans, he was troubled, but when he focused his gaze on God, he moved into the realm of spiritual light and illumination. He saw things from God’s point of view. Thus, he is concerned for the glory of God- and nothing else. We practice the highest from of prayer with our concern for God’s glory transcends all other priorities.
The prophet had begun to see the whole issue from God’s point of view; his burden was for God’s glory.
Oh that we could hear more of this kind of praying in our churches today. Most prayers we hear are concerned with topical issues- the nuclear threat, world economy violence, corruption etc. These issues are important, of course, and most certainly, there is a need to keep them in the focus of our praying. But these matters should not be our biggest concern. I have no hesitation saying that the chief concern of the church in this present age should be the spiritual restoration of God’s people through a word-wide Holy Spirit revival.
Let look at the final statement in his prayer “In wrath remember mercy”{Hab 3:2} The great devotional Bible commentator Matthew Henry says of the phrase: “Habakkuk does not say, “Remember our merit” but “ Lord, remember Thy own mercy”- remind God of His own nature.
Modern day praying lacks the depths and understanding that we see illustrated in the lives of the ancient prophets. When the church gets back to powerful praying, then only then will it get powerful results.
The 9th step is:----- - Remind yourself of the evidences of God’s faithfulness in the past and constantly talk to yourself about them. (Hab 3:3-15)
The section before us today is dominated by remembrances of God’s deliverances in the past. It is helpful to take in the whole section at one time so that we can catch the sweep and force of the prophet’s thinking.
1st, he consistently focuses on the thought that God is Mighty, and All powerful (vv3-7)
He says……….. Vv. 8-15
Can you see what Habakkuk is doing here? He is calling to mind the way in which God has come to the aid of His people in times past and the more he focuses on God’s faithfulness and power, the more the remaining mists of fog and confusion is dispelled. This then is the divinely provide way of handling all fear and confusion- consciously to focus on the facts of God’s deliverance in the past.
When the prophet began to do this, he began to feel better, and why? Because positive thoughts about God led to positive feeling about God.
The Chaldeans did indeed invade Judah and carried people into captivity into Babylon. But the appointed time, God brought judgment on the Chaldeans and destroyed them and caused a remnant of His people to return to Jerusalem.
However, we can go still further. We can focus not just on the fact of how God made a way for His people to come out of Egypt and Babylon, but on the greater deliverance which He engineered when He made a path to bring us from the dominion of Satan to the very doors of Heaven. In the Old Testament, a sacrificial lamb could provide redemption not just for an individual or a family but for the sins of the whole world!
And there is yet more. We can focus on the glorious fact that our Lord has overcome the darkness of death and by His glorious resurrection has given is the eternal pledge that because he lives, we shall live also (John 14:19) Keep these thoughts in mind through out this day and I promise you that you will know the effect of them in your feelings.
Hab 3:16………..
It seems strange that after recalling and reciting so many of the facts relating to God’s strength and power. Habakkuk should be in the state we see him in at the moment. The Living Bible put it thus: “I tremble when hear all this; my lips quiver with fear. My legs give way beneath me and I shake in terror. I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon the people who invade us”
Why did Habakkuk feel the way he does?
The answer, I believe is this: Although calling to mind God’s goodness is a proven and reliable method of dealing with fear and producing positive feelings within us, it does not completely eliminate all negative emotions. The Christian faith does not promise us that once we become Christian we will never again experience negative emotions, but it does promise that the negative emotions will be manageable and brought under control. Habakkuk has been brought to the place where he sees everything perfectly, clearly, but as he contemplates the trouble that is coming upon Judah, he trembles like a leaf. We should not however, that though he feels strong emotions; he is not overcome by them.
We have reached the tenth and final step in our progression from confusion to confidence.
The 10th step is: -------- - Decide to face everything that comes not in a spirit of resignation but in the spirit of rejoicing
This passage shows quite clearly that it is possible to rejoice, even in the face of the most disturbing circumstances. “Hab: 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: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
There are three responses we can make in the presence of trouble
1. Rebel against it.
2. Resign ourselves to it.
3. Rejoice in it.
Many take the way of rebellion when confronted by trouble- they cry out against the heaven and question the justice of God, believing they have good cause to do so. It is an understandable reaction, of course- but it is not the Christian way.
Other resigns themselves to the situation and says such things as “well, what ever will be will be”. “There is no point crying over spilt milk”. “I will just have to grin and bear it.” But resignation is not the Christian way either- although many believers think it is, beneath all resignation simmers an unconscious resentment. It cannot always be observed and it is sometimes so deeply repressed that it cannot be felt- but it is nevertheless.
The Christian way of facing trouble is the way of rejoicing. When the worst comes to the worst, we are not just to put up with it, but rejoice in it
I Thess 5:16- The apostle Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord”
But is it really possible to rejoice at times? I believe it is. Here’s the secret: we can rejoice in everything only tot he extent that we see God in everything. Your circumstances or problems may have begun with the Devil, but by the time they get to you and through you, they have a divine purpose running through them.
Illus.: An old lady was praying for bread. Some boys, hearing her, decided to play tricks on her. They climbed up on her roof and threw some loaves down the chimney. “ Praise the Lord.” Shouted the Old lady. “God has heard my prayer.” The boys then knocked on her door and said: “but it was not God who gave you the bread- it was us.” She laughingly replied: “Well, the devil may have brought it, but it was God who sent it.” Wherever an event come from, by the time it gets to you, you can be sure it has got God’s permission- and thus ha the potential of becoming no a source of trouble but a source of triumph.
Hab:3:18-19
“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.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.”
What a transformation has taken place in the heart of Habakkuk. Now he no longer stumbles in the darkness of doubt and spiritual confusion, he leaps from one revelation to another with the sure footedness of a deer. He walks on high places where others fear to tread. By climbing his watchtower and entering into a dialogue with God, and by listening to His replies. Habakkuk has learned and discovered so much that his soul is lifted above the doubts and uncertainties that once plagued his mind. The prophet begins in confusion by ends in confidence.
What made the difference?
Summing it all up in a single sentence- he saw that God was in charge of earth affairs, no matter how things looked to the contrary, and he trusted Him to do what is right. When we learn to drop our anchor into the reassuring depths of God’s nature and character and learn to trust Him, then we too will know the sustaining joy that Habakkuk experienced back there long centuries ago
If we believe in God, really believe in Him then we will not disintegrate when problems, doubts, etc arise. Christ is Lord of history- and nothing can hinder His perfect purpose from coming to pass.
So step out with confidence on the high places of life. God is the One with the Last Word.
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