When God Doesn't Part 4
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The book of Habakkuk follows the journey of the prophet through his earnest prayers, as he wrestles with God’s seeming silence and asks if God truly cares. Yet the story ends with Habakkuk able to rest in the ways of God and trust God no matter what circumstances may transpire.
Habakkuk comes to the place where his worship of God is not contingent upon his circumstances. Often, it is easier to worship God through good circumstances than when we face hardships and unpleasant situations. However, Habakkuk has come to the place where, even if trials and distress continue, he will choose to rejoice in the Lord. Paul encourages us to come to that same place: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” ().
The reality is that life can be brutal at times. Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (). In addition, Jesus stated, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (). Becoming a follower of Jesus does not exempt us from trials and suffering. Being children of God does not make us immune from experiencing the storms of life. It can be extremely challenging and at times seem nearly impossible, but God wants to bring all us to the place where we also are able to worship God and choose to rejoice in him even in the midst of the darkest storms.
Many people are devastated when their prayers are not answered. Their grief turns into disappointment with God, bitterness, and anger. We must always believe in God more than we believe for the miracles. A great illustration of this is found in with the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their refusal to bow down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol. When threatened to be thrown in a fiery furnace, they stated, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (). These three young Hebrew men were confident that God was able to deliver them from the fire. Yet they also declared that if God chose not to rescue them, they would not allow their circumstances to change their worship of him. “In the first part of their speech, we see that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego have faith for a miracle, and this is impressive. But then we see that they also have faith of a deeper kind altogether—faith to endure suffering should the miracle not happen” (Pete Greig, God on Mute [Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 2007], 127).
The song “Even If” by MercyMe is a great illustration of this powerful principle. Bart Millard (lead singer of MercyMe) comments, “‘Even If’ is a reminder to people in difficult situations that don’t seem to go away. God was worthy long before any of those circumstances even showed up. This song is a declaration to God that even if He went silent and never said another word, He’s still worthy to be praised and that He’s our greatest hope in the midst of the trial” (“‘Even If’—Mercy Me,” STAR 93.3, https://mystar933.com/behindthemic/even-if-mercyme/).
As the church, we must be careful not to only tell the “glory stories” of how people experienced the miracles of God in their circumstances changing and successfully overcoming difficult times. We must also tell the stories of those who, although they had faith for the miraculous, lived out a deeper faith that allowed them to suffer well. We also need to hear and celebrate the testimonies of those who have endured the fiery seasons of darkness, pain, and hardships.
As we go through hard times, Paul gives us three great principles we can abide in every day, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (). First, we can like Habakkuk choose to rejoice in who God is, despite our circumstance. Second, we can pray and pour out our heart and soul to God. Third, we can cultivate an “attitude of gratitude” in our lives.
The ending of Habakkuk is beautiful. “Habakkuk’s book begins with an interrogation of God but ends as an intercession to God. Worry is transformed into worship. Fear turns to faith. Terror becomes trust. Hang-ups are resolved with hope. Anguish melts into adoration. What begins with a question mark ends in an exclamation point” (J. Ronald Blue, “Habakkuk,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck [Wheaton, IL: