Behind the Red Curtain | Habakkuk 1:1, Habakkuk 3:1-19

We’re starting a NEW SERIES this week, title “YET.” It’s all about waiting for God’s purpose in life, and today we’re diving into the book of Habakkuk to kick it off. What I want to encourage you with is to keep up the conversations with God during periods of waiting. Ask Him questions while also remembering how God has helped you in the past. Keep the faith and praise Him in the midst of uncertainty, just as Habakkuk did. Let’s jump in!

Show Notes:

• Song: Waymaker
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Transcription:

Erica:

Purposely your life, God’s purpose. [email protected].

Have you ever said this out loud? How long? Oh Lord, how long must I wait? Oh, you are so not alone. It’s the Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica, your host, and Habakkuk was a prophet, a priest, some say, who loved God and who asked God that same question. He wrote it down. It’s actually Habakkuk chapter one verse two.

How long, oh Lord?

Doesn’t that make you feel better? So, this week you and I are going to talk about what it looks like, what it feels like, what to do when we’re in God’s waiting room. For me, I’ve always pictured it this way… I’ll never forget when my daughter starred as Charlotte the spider in Charlotte’s Web, a little play when she was in fourth grade. I remember the red curtains were closed and I was in the audience and I had such a sense of anticipation, of expectancy in my heart, and I saw there were little movements underneath the curtain. I saw feet moving around. I saw things happening, but I couldn’t see exactly what was going on. All I knew is that something was happening. They were preparing for something really, really good and I couldn’t wait to see it. Now that’s a wonderful positive thing. For you, it may look like a different waiting room. For you it might actually be a hospital waiting room where you’re waiting on an answer that could divide your life into before and after. I have been in those waiting rooms. I know how you feel and God knows how you feel. One thing that you and I can do when we don’t know yet how God is going to respond to our prayers, is we can keep up the conversation with Him. We can ask him questions. We can keep the conversation going. We can keep the lines of communication open with our God and you and I can remember God’s help in the past.

Habakkuk, the prophet/priest did all three of these things in his book, in the Bible. He asked the tough questions. He talked back and forth with God and he remembered God’s help. These things caused a spirit of praise to rise up in his heart, in spite of the fact that he was surrounded by evil and injustice and he didn’t get it. He told God, I don’t understand. And you and I can as well. You and I can pray through the things we don’t get. God is the best listener. So we start by praying through the stuff we don’t get, and then we start praising through it and all of a sudden, you and I are closer to God, even in the midst of the thing we don’t get. It’s beautiful. So here we go. We’re going to begin today in Habakkuk chapter three, verse one.

This prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk

So picture him in a pool of uncertainty, just raising his hands and saying, I might be standing in uncertainty, but I will also stand in faith. Okay, verse one.

This prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk. 2 I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy. 3 I see God moving across the deserts from Edom, the Holy One coming from Mount Paran. His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise. 4 His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise. Rays of light flash from his hands, where his awesome power is hidden. 5 Pestilence marches before him; plague follows close behind. 6 When he stops, the earth shakes. When he looks, the nations tremble. He shatters the everlasting mountains and levels the eternal hills. He is the Eternal One!

Here is Habakkuk trusting in this God who helped once and who is going to help his people again; reminding himself of God’s power. Verse seven.

I see the people of Cushan in distress, and the nation of Midian trembling in terror. 8 Was it in anger, Lord, that you struck the rivers and parted the sea? Were you displeased with them? No, you were sending your chariots of salvation! 9 You brandished your bow and your quiver of arrows. You split open the earth with flowing rivers. 10 The mountains watched and trembled. Onward swept the raging waters. The mighty deep cried out, lifting its hands in submission. 11 The sun and moon stood still in the sky as your brilliant arrows flew and your glittering spear flashed. 12 You marched across the land in anger and trampled the nations in your fury. 13 You went out to rescue your chosen people, to save your anointed ones. You crushed the heads of the wicked and stripped their bones from head to toe. 14 With his own weapons, you destroyed the chief of those who rushed out like a whirlwind, thinking Israel would be easy prey. 15 You trampled the sea with your horses, and the mighty waters piled high. 16 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.

Now this is the best part, verse 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! 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.

Did you catch that word yet? Yet, will I Praise the Lord. Okay, so God hasn’t answered your prayer yet. Or at least it doesn’t look like it. Hey, Google the song Waymaker today, and listen to it on repeat. He is always working. Your case is always on His desk. You just haven’t seen the answer quite yet. And as we wait, we have the precious opportunity to praise Him in the middle. Before the door opens, we will praise him in the hallway. That’s what faith looks like. He hasn’t answered yet, yet. We will praise him. We will trust him. We’ll ask him all the questions and we will move from questions to prayer to praise, just like Habakkuk did. He was a person who loved God and who wrestled with his faith sometimes, but he trusted through the things that he didn’t understand and you and I can too. We will yet praise him. Alright, until next time, you are loved.

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