I have been working my way though Pastor Craig Groeschel’s new book: Hope in the Dark. Excellent Read. I cant recommend it enough. Do yourself a favour and head-on over to Amazon and pick up this book.
While I am not here to review this book in it’s entirety— this is above my pay-grade— I did get a few sermon ideas, and I am currently working on one now— you can pray that I will be asked to share this at a church near you… especially if you’re reading this from Ghana or Florida.. but I digress.
The character that Pastor Craig directs out attention to is the Old Testament Prophet by the name of Habakkuk. Not much is known about this old book; however this small book packs an enormous punch.
God’s chosen people had been worshipping idols and rebelling against Him for years and refusing to listen to each prophet that God had sent their way to remind them to turn from their wicked ways and turn back to God… but the people would not listen.
Habakkuk was upset that the chosen people were running around sining; so he talked to God about it, and then he found out that the evil empire, AKA the Babylonians were on their way to bring ruin to the chosen people of God. (This kinda gives us a date of this book… the fall of Judah occurred in 586, but that’s neither here nor there.)
When Hab. learns of the impending destruction at the hands of the evil empire, he goes ballistic… He begins to question God and ask Him if He knew what the Babylonians were truly like…
God reminded Hab. that though the evil empire would destroy Judah, they would eventually get what’s coming to them. they themselves— the evil empire— would get it.
The interesting part of all the exchange that Hab. had with God was how God interacted with him. To me, it reinforced how we have a God who is Completely Sovereign, but yet at the same time very personal and approachable. God wants to be involved in our lives. He wants to be consulted, He wants to be involved in our every day lives.
another thing that stood out to me was Habakkuk’s response to the whole event that was going to transpire— here is chapter 3:16-18
I trembled inside when I heard this;
my lips quivered with fear.
My legs gave way beneath me,
and I shook in terror.
I will wait quietly for the coming day
when disaster will strike the people who invade us.
17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.
Basically he is choosing to believe that God is God and He can be trusted. Though His current situation didn’t make any sense to Habakkuk still trusted in God.
I think there is a lesson in this for us.
Sometimes things can happen to us that leave us scratching our heads. We hear of wildfires completely destroying parts of the world, and his being shot, and chaos seems to be the rule of the day.
Its here that we need to join in what Habakkuk is saying: “Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (NIV2011)
God can be trusted. All. the. time.
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