God’s Answer For Tough Times

I am grateful.  Every time I reach an uncertain moment in my walk with the Lord, He always sends reassurance.  Sunday’s sermon encouraged me.  It’s like Jesus sat down with me and said, “Girl, I got this.”  Hopefully, the sermon recap will let you know that He has you too.

We are still in the book of Habakkuk.  Sunday’s sermon shined the spotlight on Habakkuk 2:1-4.  Habakkuk, a prophet continues to ask God the tough questions.  The nation of Israel is being persecuted by the Babylonians.  Essentially Habakkuk is concerned with why this is happening and how long they will have to endure the tough times.  These trials do not make sense to him.  I can certainly relate to Habakkuk.  This year has presented challenges that I do not see a way around.  God’s answer to my tough times, and yours too, is that we must live by faith.  Let’s dig a little deeper into what that means.

First, we need to have faith in the character of God.  It is easy for us to get disillusioned.  When life is difficult, we can be consumed by our emotions and swayed by our feelings.  Even though our emotions change, our God does not.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.  God is loving.  He is a protector.  A provider.  Miracle worker.  Promise keeper.  Even when situations are bad and don’t make sense, we have to remind ourselves that God is not against us.  God is for us.  His character has not changed.  We have to continue to trust Him even when we do not like what we see.

We also need to have faith in what God shows us.  God gives Habakkuk vision and tells Habakkuk to write the vision on tablets.  The vision looked nothing like the current situation that Habakkuk was seeing.  Here Habakkuk is faced with two things that do not make sense-the turmoil AND the vision.  In that moment, he had to make a choice to have faith in what God showed him.  He could not let his frustrations keep him from promise.  Since God does not change and is not a liar, we have everything to gain when we live in a state of expectancy.  That is why it is so important to have God’s promises etched on our hearts.  When hard times come, we can recall that God’s plan and vision is to prosper us and not harm us.  We should be in position and ready for all that He has planned for us.

Lastly, we must have faith in God’s timing.  I have heard the same message three times in the same weekend.  God has put this on a loop.  He wants me to grab hold of this principle and not let it go.  Which has proved to be easier said than done for me.  God’s timing is definitely not my own.  At times, He comes swiftly.  Other times, He seems to tarry.  The scripture plainly tells me that though the vision tarries, I need to wait for it to come to pass.  God’s vision is for an appointed time.  Not just any time.  Not the time that I personally set.  An appointed time.  While I am waiting, I need to be working on what the Lord set before me. 

Tough times often lead to tough questions with tough answers.  Answers that challenge me.  Answers that call me out and make me lace up my shoes.  Faith without works is dead.  God provided clarity and told me what it takes to make it through the tough times.  The ball is now in my court.  I must do the work to show that my faith is alive.  #wepreach

Tough Questions That May Have Tough Answers:

• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being impatient to 10 being the model of patience, where do you land when trials arrive? How do you land on the scale when trials persist for longer than you imagined?
• Does your life show faith or frustration with God’s timing?
• Decide on one step that you can take to live out your faith this week.