Trusting God When it Doesn’t Make Sense

Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
​The Lord God is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.

One of my favorite books in the Old Testament is the book of Habakkuk. If you have dedicated any time to this book you know that it provides a wealth of content and it is very unique among the prophetic books.

Most of the prophets in the Old Testament speak to the people on behalf of God. The prophets serve as the mouth of the Lord and they deliver His message with conviction and authority! In Habakkuk we see a prophet speaking on behalf of the people. Habakkuk has a complaint that he shares with God. The main concern of Habakkuk is a concern of injustice. Specifically, Habakkuk approaches God on behalf of the people and he wants to know why God is allowing injustice to be done among His people. He wants to know if God even hears their cries and if He is concerned with the activities of their day. 
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God’s response is unusual. Not only will God not do what Habakkuk wants, He is going to do the opposite. God is going to rise up bad people to come and overthrow the nation. This opposition will eventually lead to exile and captivity. This is bad news for the prophet. Habakkuk complains once more and God finally responds by telling Habakkuk that justice will be done and God will eventually crush His enemies. Habakkuk then responds in chapter 3 with a prayerful song. Habakkuk goes from complaint to praise in just a few short chapters.

This worshipful song in Habakkuk 3 serves as a reminder that we should worship God because of His holiness and because He is the God of salvation. While many things can be gleaned from Habakkuk 3, here are just a few reminders:

Thank God regardless of the challenges (v17)
Thank God for His salvation in the challenges (v18)
Thank God for His strength through the challenges (v19)
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Habakkuk shares here that even though difficulties may come, our posture should be to rejoice in the Lord.  He knows that the source of his strength comes from the Lord.  He knows that the source of his salvation comes from the Lord.  Even when there is suffering and hardship, God is presently active.  Even when there is loneliness and heartbreak, God is present. No matter how difficult today’s events may appear, there is always hope in the activity of God that we do not understand. We have access to that hope because we have placed our faith in Jesus and trust in His sovereign control over all things. Habakkuk serves as a great model for trusting God regardless of the difficult circumstances we may face.

Pastor Billy