New Sermon Series Beginning June 23, 2013
What Does the Bible Say:
June 23 About Angels?
June 30 About Anger?
July 7 About Dealing with Difficult People?
July 14 About Animals in Heaven?
August 4 About Death, Eternal Life & Heaven?
August 11 About Degrees of Sin?
August 18 About Depression?
August 25 About Faith & Works?
September 1 About Fasting?
September 8 About Forgiveness?
September 15 About Friends?
September 22 About Guilt & Shame?
September 29 About Hell?
October 6 About the End Times?
October 13 About Obedience?
October 20 About Politics?
October 27 About Spiritual Warfare?
November 3 About Spiritual Gifts?
November 10 About Suicide?
November 17 About Sunday vs. Sabbath?
November 24 About Thanksgiving?
December 1 About the Trinity?
December 8 About Worry?
Sermon By: Dr. Reece Sherman
August 18, 2013
BIBLICAL TRUTHS To Keep In Mind When Dealing With Depression:
God Never Loses Sight of You
Deuteronomy 31:8 “… It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you
or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Psalms 40:13 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up
from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps
secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put
their trust in the LORD.
Your Trust and Hope is In Him; Call Upon Him
Psalms 3:3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
Psalms 32:10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in
the LORD.
Psalms 37:34 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight
yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in
God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
1 Peter 5:67 (KJV) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt
you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
He Has Great Plans for You; Hang in There
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for
evil, to give you a future and a hope.
John 16:33 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.
1 Peter 4:1213 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as
though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s
sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
Realize that you can't base life on your emotions
Christians base life on truth, not feelings. Philippians 4:1 commands us to rejoice (whether we feel
like it or not!). And James 1:2 asks us to “Consider it all joy when we fall into various trials.”
Notice that James doesn't tell us to feel joyful; he tells us to reckon, to choose to think about your
situation as a spot where you can have joy.
Faith
Choosing to trust truth rather than your feelings may require a lot of faith. And if that is what we
mean by asking if faith can solve depression, then faith may be enough in some cases. Trusting
what God says rather than your feelings is certainly a more realistic approach to life!
Heed God's Advice
However, many people talk about “faith” and only mean a vague hope that God will somehow
pull them through. That's too nebulous a concept to be reliable. Many of the same people who
claim to have faith keep plunging through life ignoring God's principles for healthy living. If we
spurn the good advice that the Bible contains, we won't escape the consequences even if we
have faith.
ILLUS: A couple of years ago, the South East Christian Church offered a time during their
Wednesday Evening Service (attendance of at least 600) for people to come forward and have the
Elders lay hands on them and pray for healing. The speaker pointed out that there was "a lot of
hurt in this room" sickness, broken relationships, grief. He said that at the invitation, the elders
would be available for prayers of healing.
The response began as a trickle. Soon, others began making their way down from the balcony;
walking along individually or in pairs, or rolling forward in wheelchairs. Before long, the trickle
became a torrent.
Elder Bob Carpenter said he was not prepared for the response to the invitation. "I was totally
surprised by the magnitude of it."
Elder Bill Beauchamp did not expect the vast response either… nor did he anticipate the type of
prayer needs revealed. "At least 2 out of 3 asked for prayer for depression," he said.
"I thought it would be more for physical needs. But so many said, ’I’m depressed. I feel unworthy.
I see no future." I was amazed at how many felt unworthy."
What God gives to help the depressed
● Strength. God “refreshes and cheers” you, not by removing all your problems, but by
answering your prayers when you pray for the strength to cope. (Philippians 4:13) You can
be sure that he’s ready to listen to you, for the Bible says: “Jehovah is near to those that
are broken at heart; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.” (Psalm 34:18) In fact,
God can hear your call for help even if you can’t put your feelings into words.—Romans
8:26, 27.
● Good examples. One Bible writer prayed to God: “From the depths of my despair I call to
you.” This psalmist dealt with his depression by remembering that God doesn’t burden us
with guilt. Instead, he said to God: “If you kept a record of our sins, who could escape
being condemned? But you forgive us, so that we should stand in awe of you.”—Psalm
130:1, 3, 4, Good News Translation.
● Hope. Besides providing comfort now, God has promised to remove all the problems that
lead to depression. When he fulfills that promise, “the former things [including depression]
will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.”—Isaiah 65:17.
The Prayer of Habakkuk
Habakkuk 3:1-19
Sermon by Dr. Reece B. Sherman, Pastor
Ryan Baptist Church
May 5, 2013
In 1942, a man named Felix Powell sat down at the piano to play on old tune. He had every
right to play it; he had written it himself. It had been tremendously popular in both World Wars.
“So pack up your troubles in your old kit bag,
and smile, smile, smile.”
When Felix Powell finished his song, he walked into his bedroom, took out a revolver, put it to
his head, and shot himself. You see, he could tell others how to get rid of their worries and problems,
but he couldn't find the answer to his own struggles.
The prophecy of Habakkuk is different from all other Old Testament prophecies. Most of the
Old Testament prophets stood before the people and shared the answers to life's questions. “Here's how
you live life. Here's what you should do,” they would say. But Habakkuk was different. He couldn't
give the people the answer to their problems until he found the answers to his own. Habakkuk does not
spend time preaching to the people the message of God, instead, he spends his time bringing the
message of the people to God. He voices the concerns and questions of those around him as well as
Habakkuk wanted answers and he was not going to stop until God gave him the answers he
sought. Although there are prayers recorded in the first to chapters of his book...our focus will be on
the prayer recorded in the third chapter. This prayer can truly b called one of the great prayers of the
He begins his prayer by asking God to work as he did in days of old. The prayer is for God to
renew his awesome work of salvation of his people that had become only a report in Habakkuk's time.
It is a prayer on behalf of the people that God will renew or revive his saving acts in the present.
Chapter three, verse two states: “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds,
O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”
How often have we read about the miracles recorded in the Bible and we wonder why we don't
see those same miracles taking place around us. It seems that in Scripture a miracle was an everyday
occurrence, whereas today, miracles aren't as common. Habakkuk felt the same way. He said “Lord, I
have heard about everything you did in the past and I stand in awe f your power...but God, why aren't
you showing that same kind of power today? Why does it seem that you are silent, or even powerless.?”
There are many who feel that it is wrong to question God. There are many who are brought up
believing that you should never question why God did something or allows something...or why he
doesn't do other things. If that's how you were brought up...if that's how you feel, you can't use the
Bible to back you up. The Bible is full of people who question God's will and action or silence.
Elijah questioned God on Mount Horeb.
Jeremiah complained to God about God's calling on his life.
Even our Lord cried out on the cross: “My God, My God...Why has Thou forsaken me?”
And now Habakkuk wonders why God is silent when there is so much evil and heartache.
Oh, there are many who would go up to Habakkuk and say: “God must have a reason.” Some might tell
him, “Don't question God, just accept what is happening to you.” Some might even say: It is a sin to
I tell you that it is a sin not to. Why do I say that? Because it would be a lie to live and act as if
everything is fine. If we can't be honest with God about our feelings, then we are living a lie in his
eyes. If we can't be honest with the only One who knows our true feelings, who can we be honest with?
The KEY to handling your questions and complaints is this: DON'T TALK ABOUT GOD,
TALK WITH GOD. In other words, don't complain about God, complain to God. The problems in
relationships is that often when we have a complaint or question, we talk about the person...we
complain about them. But things never change in the relationship because we don't complain to
True prayer and painful reality go hand-in-hand for the believer. We only need to witness
Christ's suffering on the cross to realize this. And so...when we most feel the sting of alienation from
God, the dying Savior assures us that God is near and our suffering is an opportunity for authentic
If you have a problem with the way God is working in your life, talk to Him about it. And then
listen to what he says. That is what Habakkuk did.
Someone once said that prayer is an education. Prayer is a learning experience. But to learn, we
must listen. The problem with most of our praying is that we do all the talking...especially when we
Something wonderful happened in Habakkuk's prayer. He was reminded of all that God had
done in the past and of what God would do in his day. Habakkuk prayed that God would do as he did
in days of old and while he was praying God showed him what He was capable of.
Hab. 3:4-6,13 – His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was
hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he
looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed.
His ways are eternal...You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the
leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot.
Habakkuk spent some time listening to God. He allowed God to answer his questions. And God
answered him in such a powerful way. God reminded Habakkuk of his power and his might. He
reminded Habakkuk of what he had done in the past in the Exodus and what he would do in the present
Somewhere along the line, Habakkuk's fear is changed to faith, and the change probably come
in verse 16. He says that he was frightened and awestruck when he heard about the works of God. He
knows that the time of God's victory over the enemy might be long in coming. But he says: I will wait
calmly for the day of distress to come upon the people attacking us.
You see, it was God's plan that his people would be attacked. It was for a purpose and God had
already told Habakkuk that the “just will live by their faithfulness.” He told him that the righteous
would survive the onslaught of the enemy. But God assured him that he was not closing his eyes to the
plight of his people. God would act...but Habakkuk and the people had to be patient.
And while he waits for the ultimate victory, Habakkuk prays one of the greatest prayers found in all of
Scripture...an honest prayer and a listening prayer, but...
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, THIS IS A PRAYER OF FAITH:
Hab. 3:17-19 – 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, YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my
strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to walk on the heights.
Several years ago I had received a call from a close friend, a former next-door neighbor. We truly
believe God planned for us to move next door to them. I had the great privilege of leading him to the
Lord and baptizing him. He told me that his son had been attacked by a dog. He received stitches on his
face and hands and arm. They had to rebuild his thumb.
My friend's first questions was “Why?” He wondered why God would let that happen to his
son. Why didn't God protect him? First, I told him that God didn't make I happen. It happened, but God
wasn't to be blamed. Then he said that he didn't know what to pray or if he even felt like praying. I told
him that he would come away from the experience one of two ways. He would either move away from
God or move closer to him. If he blamed God or shut God out and didn't talk to Him about it, he would
move away from God. But if he talked to God about it and brought his feelings to God and relied on
God's strength, he would move closer to God.
Habakkuk prays, “Yes, I know that time are difficult. But, Lord, I trust you in the midst of it all.
I trust you to act. I trust you to work out your purposes. I will trust you through thick and thin.” He
says that he will rejoice and exult in the Lord although there may not be any visible or external signs of
his presence or favor. Habakkuk says in the strongest possible way that he is determined to rejoice in
the Lord regardless of what does or does not happen. Faith means loving and serving God regardless of
Then he comes out with the most joyful affirmation of divine sovereignty that we find
anywhere in Scripture. 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, YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
This is not a “praise the Lord, anyway” mentality. We do not find a cliché or catch phrase here
No...here we find someone whose confidence in God is not shaken by the circumstances around
him. Here is one who had an inner sense of well-being that nothing, absolutely nothing in life can touch.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Letters and Papers from Prison wrote: “God does no give us everything
we want, but he does fulfill all his promises, i.e., he remains the Lord of the earth, he preserves his
church, constantly renewing our faith and not laying on us more than we can bear, gladdening us with
his nearness and help, hearing our prayers, and leading us along the best and straightest paths to
himself. By his faithfulness in doing this, God creates in us praise for himself.”
Habakkuk is confident that God will give him strength to endure the circumstances of his life.
In all of Scripture it would be difficult to find as strong a statement of faith. But realize that it was a
faith that came as a result of praying honestly and praying attentively...listening for God's answer.
There is a saying that goes like this: “Prayer may not change things for yo, but it will
certainly change you for things.” When Paul prayed for his thorn to be removed, he asked God to
“change things.” Instead, God “changed him” so that he could handle his thorn.
If only Felix Powell had known that we can pack up our troubles...because we know that the
uncertain future has a certain hope. And like Habakkuk we can be confident in a God who listens to our
cries in the dark ad assures us that he is here.
What Does the Bible Say:
June 23 About Angels?
June 30 About Anger?
July 7 About Dealing with Difficult People?
July 14 About Animals in Heaven?
August 4 About Death, Eternal Life & Heaven?
August 11 About Degrees of Sin?
August 18 About Depression?
August 25 About Faith & Works?
September 1 About Fasting?
September 8 About Forgiveness?
September 15 About Friends?
September 22 About Guilt & Shame?
September 29 About Hell?
October 6 About the End Times?
October 13 About Obedience?
October 20 About Politics?
October 27 About Spiritual Warfare?
November 3 About Spiritual Gifts?
November 10 About Suicide?
November 17 About Sunday vs. Sabbath?
November 24 About Thanksgiving?
December 1 About the Trinity?
December 8 About Worry?
Sermon By: Dr. Reece Sherman
August 18, 2013
BIBLICAL TRUTHS To Keep In Mind When Dealing With Depression:
God Never Loses Sight of You
Deuteronomy 31:8 “… It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you
or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Psalms 40:13 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up
from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps
secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put
their trust in the LORD.
Your Trust and Hope is In Him; Call Upon Him
Psalms 3:3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
Psalms 32:10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in
the LORD.
Psalms 37:34 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight
yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in
God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
1 Peter 5:67 (KJV) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt
you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
He Has Great Plans for You; Hang in There
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for
evil, to give you a future and a hope.
John 16:33 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.
1 Peter 4:1213 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as
though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s
sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
Realize that you can't base life on your emotions
Christians base life on truth, not feelings. Philippians 4:1 commands us to rejoice (whether we feel
like it or not!). And James 1:2 asks us to “Consider it all joy when we fall into various trials.”
Notice that James doesn't tell us to feel joyful; he tells us to reckon, to choose to think about your
situation as a spot where you can have joy.
Faith
Choosing to trust truth rather than your feelings may require a lot of faith. And if that is what we
mean by asking if faith can solve depression, then faith may be enough in some cases. Trusting
what God says rather than your feelings is certainly a more realistic approach to life!
Heed God's Advice
However, many people talk about “faith” and only mean a vague hope that God will somehow
pull them through. That's too nebulous a concept to be reliable. Many of the same people who
claim to have faith keep plunging through life ignoring God's principles for healthy living. If we
spurn the good advice that the Bible contains, we won't escape the consequences even if we
have faith.
ILLUS: A couple of years ago, the South East Christian Church offered a time during their
Wednesday Evening Service (attendance of at least 600) for people to come forward and have the
Elders lay hands on them and pray for healing. The speaker pointed out that there was "a lot of
hurt in this room" sickness, broken relationships, grief. He said that at the invitation, the elders
would be available for prayers of healing.
The response began as a trickle. Soon, others began making their way down from the balcony;
walking along individually or in pairs, or rolling forward in wheelchairs. Before long, the trickle
became a torrent.
Elder Bob Carpenter said he was not prepared for the response to the invitation. "I was totally
surprised by the magnitude of it."
Elder Bill Beauchamp did not expect the vast response either… nor did he anticipate the type of
prayer needs revealed. "At least 2 out of 3 asked for prayer for depression," he said.
"I thought it would be more for physical needs. But so many said, ’I’m depressed. I feel unworthy.
I see no future." I was amazed at how many felt unworthy."
What God gives to help the depressed
● Strength. God “refreshes and cheers” you, not by removing all your problems, but by
answering your prayers when you pray for the strength to cope. (Philippians 4:13) You can
be sure that he’s ready to listen to you, for the Bible says: “Jehovah is near to those that
are broken at heart; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.” (Psalm 34:18) In fact,
God can hear your call for help even if you can’t put your feelings into words.—Romans
8:26, 27.
● Good examples. One Bible writer prayed to God: “From the depths of my despair I call to
you.” This psalmist dealt with his depression by remembering that God doesn’t burden us
with guilt. Instead, he said to God: “If you kept a record of our sins, who could escape
being condemned? But you forgive us, so that we should stand in awe of you.”—Psalm
130:1, 3, 4, Good News Translation.
● Hope. Besides providing comfort now, God has promised to remove all the problems that
lead to depression. When he fulfills that promise, “the former things [including depression]
will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.”—Isaiah 65:17.
The Prayer of Habakkuk
Habakkuk 3:1-19
Sermon by Dr. Reece B. Sherman, Pastor
Ryan Baptist Church
May 5, 2013
In 1942, a man named Felix Powell sat down at the piano to play on old tune. He had every
right to play it; he had written it himself. It had been tremendously popular in both World Wars.
“So pack up your troubles in your old kit bag,
and smile, smile, smile.”
When Felix Powell finished his song, he walked into his bedroom, took out a revolver, put it to
his head, and shot himself. You see, he could tell others how to get rid of their worries and problems,
but he couldn't find the answer to his own struggles.
The prophecy of Habakkuk is different from all other Old Testament prophecies. Most of the
Old Testament prophets stood before the people and shared the answers to life's questions. “Here's how
you live life. Here's what you should do,” they would say. But Habakkuk was different. He couldn't
give the people the answer to their problems until he found the answers to his own. Habakkuk does not
spend time preaching to the people the message of God, instead, he spends his time bringing the
message of the people to God. He voices the concerns and questions of those around him as well as
Habakkuk wanted answers and he was not going to stop until God gave him the answers he
sought. Although there are prayers recorded in the first to chapters of his book...our focus will be on
the prayer recorded in the third chapter. This prayer can truly b called one of the great prayers of the
He begins his prayer by asking God to work as he did in days of old. The prayer is for God to
renew his awesome work of salvation of his people that had become only a report in Habakkuk's time.
It is a prayer on behalf of the people that God will renew or revive his saving acts in the present.
Chapter three, verse two states: “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds,
O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”
How often have we read about the miracles recorded in the Bible and we wonder why we don't
see those same miracles taking place around us. It seems that in Scripture a miracle was an everyday
occurrence, whereas today, miracles aren't as common. Habakkuk felt the same way. He said “Lord, I
have heard about everything you did in the past and I stand in awe f your power...but God, why aren't
you showing that same kind of power today? Why does it seem that you are silent, or even powerless.?”
There are many who feel that it is wrong to question God. There are many who are brought up
believing that you should never question why God did something or allows something...or why he
doesn't do other things. If that's how you were brought up...if that's how you feel, you can't use the
Bible to back you up. The Bible is full of people who question God's will and action or silence.
Elijah questioned God on Mount Horeb.
Jeremiah complained to God about God's calling on his life.
Even our Lord cried out on the cross: “My God, My God...Why has Thou forsaken me?”
And now Habakkuk wonders why God is silent when there is so much evil and heartache.
Oh, there are many who would go up to Habakkuk and say: “God must have a reason.” Some might tell
him, “Don't question God, just accept what is happening to you.” Some might even say: It is a sin to
I tell you that it is a sin not to. Why do I say that? Because it would be a lie to live and act as if
everything is fine. If we can't be honest with God about our feelings, then we are living a lie in his
eyes. If we can't be honest with the only One who knows our true feelings, who can we be honest with?
The KEY to handling your questions and complaints is this: DON'T TALK ABOUT GOD,
TALK WITH GOD. In other words, don't complain about God, complain to God. The problems in
relationships is that often when we have a complaint or question, we talk about the person...we
complain about them. But things never change in the relationship because we don't complain to
True prayer and painful reality go hand-in-hand for the believer. We only need to witness
Christ's suffering on the cross to realize this. And so...when we most feel the sting of alienation from
God, the dying Savior assures us that God is near and our suffering is an opportunity for authentic
If you have a problem with the way God is working in your life, talk to Him about it. And then
listen to what he says. That is what Habakkuk did.
Someone once said that prayer is an education. Prayer is a learning experience. But to learn, we
must listen. The problem with most of our praying is that we do all the talking...especially when we
Something wonderful happened in Habakkuk's prayer. He was reminded of all that God had
done in the past and of what God would do in his day. Habakkuk prayed that God would do as he did
in days of old and while he was praying God showed him what He was capable of.
Hab. 3:4-6,13 – His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was
hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he
looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed.
His ways are eternal...You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the
leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot.
Habakkuk spent some time listening to God. He allowed God to answer his questions. And God
answered him in such a powerful way. God reminded Habakkuk of his power and his might. He
reminded Habakkuk of what he had done in the past in the Exodus and what he would do in the present
Somewhere along the line, Habakkuk's fear is changed to faith, and the change probably come
in verse 16. He says that he was frightened and awestruck when he heard about the works of God. He
knows that the time of God's victory over the enemy might be long in coming. But he says: I will wait
calmly for the day of distress to come upon the people attacking us.
You see, it was God's plan that his people would be attacked. It was for a purpose and God had
already told Habakkuk that the “just will live by their faithfulness.” He told him that the righteous
would survive the onslaught of the enemy. But God assured him that he was not closing his eyes to the
plight of his people. God would act...but Habakkuk and the people had to be patient.
And while he waits for the ultimate victory, Habakkuk prays one of the greatest prayers found in all of
Scripture...an honest prayer and a listening prayer, but...
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, THIS IS A PRAYER OF FAITH:
Hab. 3:17-19 – 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, YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my
strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to walk on the heights.
Several years ago I had received a call from a close friend, a former next-door neighbor. We truly
believe God planned for us to move next door to them. I had the great privilege of leading him to the
Lord and baptizing him. He told me that his son had been attacked by a dog. He received stitches on his
face and hands and arm. They had to rebuild his thumb.
My friend's first questions was “Why?” He wondered why God would let that happen to his
son. Why didn't God protect him? First, I told him that God didn't make I happen. It happened, but God
wasn't to be blamed. Then he said that he didn't know what to pray or if he even felt like praying. I told
him that he would come away from the experience one of two ways. He would either move away from
God or move closer to him. If he blamed God or shut God out and didn't talk to Him about it, he would
move away from God. But if he talked to God about it and brought his feelings to God and relied on
God's strength, he would move closer to God.
Habakkuk prays, “Yes, I know that time are difficult. But, Lord, I trust you in the midst of it all.
I trust you to act. I trust you to work out your purposes. I will trust you through thick and thin.” He
says that he will rejoice and exult in the Lord although there may not be any visible or external signs of
his presence or favor. Habakkuk says in the strongest possible way that he is determined to rejoice in
the Lord regardless of what does or does not happen. Faith means loving and serving God regardless of
Then he comes out with the most joyful affirmation of divine sovereignty that we find
anywhere in Scripture. 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, YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
This is not a “praise the Lord, anyway” mentality. We do not find a cliché or catch phrase here
No...here we find someone whose confidence in God is not shaken by the circumstances around
him. Here is one who had an inner sense of well-being that nothing, absolutely nothing in life can touch.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Letters and Papers from Prison wrote: “God does no give us everything
we want, but he does fulfill all his promises, i.e., he remains the Lord of the earth, he preserves his
church, constantly renewing our faith and not laying on us more than we can bear, gladdening us with
his nearness and help, hearing our prayers, and leading us along the best and straightest paths to
himself. By his faithfulness in doing this, God creates in us praise for himself.”
Habakkuk is confident that God will give him strength to endure the circumstances of his life.
In all of Scripture it would be difficult to find as strong a statement of faith. But realize that it was a
faith that came as a result of praying honestly and praying attentively...listening for God's answer.
There is a saying that goes like this: “Prayer may not change things for yo, but it will
certainly change you for things.” When Paul prayed for his thorn to be removed, he asked God to
“change things.” Instead, God “changed him” so that he could handle his thorn.
If only Felix Powell had known that we can pack up our troubles...because we know that the
uncertain future has a certain hope. And like Habakkuk we can be confident in a God who listens to our
cries in the dark ad assures us that he is here.
