Back to Blog
May 31, 20205/31/2020 Today's Thought: In Our Downfalls, Scripture: Habbakuk 3:17-19
Points: 1. We struggle in our listening for God’s answer. 2. We struggle in accepting God’s vision(plan). 3. We struggle to commit & trust God's way Despite the fact that vandalism, looting, fire, violence and chaos seem to be the order of the day across the United States in several major American cities including Philadelphia, yet will I trust Him! The National coverage around the world and the breaking news in the midst of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is another pandemic uprise in the form of injustice, brutality and racism. At a time when the world is already at it’s wits end and feeling like there is no way out, the devil rears his ugly head with another diversion that can’t be ignored pushing us into an even further state of downfalls, disappointments and darkness! But yet in all of this we are to walk by faith, not by sight and trust God. At the rate we are going today, it can appear as if the harder we pray the more God has turned a deaf ear to us! First, the coronavirus hits us like one of the 10 plagues causing a serious pandemic in our society then police in Minneapolis decided that they wanted to make national news headlines by taking an innocent man’s life who just so happened to be black. May Mr. George Floyd rest in peace. Background: Within the Old Testament during a time of uncertainty, we find a minor prophet by the name of Habakkuk who had to demonstrate the true essence of faith, continuing to trust in the Lord’s wisdom and faithfulness even when it seemed like God was inactive not listening nor responding and worse of all uncaring. He was a “minor Biblical prophet” with a “major end-time prophecy.” He lived during a time of corruption in his society, he complained of oppressive violence, unequal treatment before the law, falsehood parading as truth, open robbery, perversion in the courts, strife between the political factions; witness to a law that wasn’t upheld in courts along with thieves and murderers being honored publicly while the innocent were trampled upon. God commissioned him to lead. He talked with God and was engaged in heavy conversation with God on the conditions he saw in his society. Out of this dialog came a central message of "the just shall live by faith" which plays an important role in our Christian thought today. POINT 1: We struggle in our listening for God’s answer. Habakkuk was positioned by God to look among the nations and watch. In his watching he got disappointed by his own expectation of how he thought God should have dealt with the people’s ongoing rebellious behavior and focused on the disappointment instead of listening for God’s answer. However, when God answered Habakkuk, he wrestled with it because he knew that only God had the answer to help him to help the people. He needed to be a hearer then a doer! (James 1:22-25) Disappointments and distress even darkness because of your own downfalls might have been a result of not listening to God! POINT 2: We struggle in accepting God’s vision (plan). Habakkuk was positioned by God to stand his watch and wait to see what the Lord would say. God gave him a vision in Habakkuk 2:1-4 which included 5 woes of warning to Judah. He had to be reminded that God still had a vision and a plan for his people in the midst of his disappointment and distress. God has a vision and a plan for us on today! Jeremiah 29:10-14confirms this. But he had to wait on the Lord! Isaiah 40:31 We are short sighted, God is far sighted making our perspective often different from God’s. Situations, circumstances and their disappointing outcome may be because we fail to discern God’s plan or see His hand working in our lives! POINT 3: We struggle to commit and trusts God’s way. At this point Habakkuk had spent a lot of one on one time with God. And was now positioned by God to kneel and see what the Lord was doing. Habakkuk may not have understood or particularly liked what he heard from God but he recognized that God was sovereign and that He can do whatever He wants to do , how He wants to do it because He knows what He is doing! Habakkuk had to trust the process, the nation of Judah was acting crazy and out of control but God was going to get them under control by his means! Habakkuk was perplexed, confused and fearful but once his perspective was changed his faith in God changed. He was able to commit to God and trust God’s way. Habakkuk trusted God for deliverance like David trusted God in Psalm 18. Conclusion: Don’t let circumstances control you. Put your trusts in God. Choose to look to God, to listen, to learn and to move forward in God’s plan for you! Yes, these are difficult times but hold on to your faith in Jesus Christ. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |