TRUST GOD IN SPITE OF!
October Sermon Series — HARVEST TIME
Main Scripture: Habakkuk 3:17–19 (KJV)
Theme Scripture: Galatians 6:9 (KJV)
Main Bible Character: Habakkuk
Supporting Characters: Job, Abraham, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, David, and Paul
MAIN TEXT — HABAKKUK 3:17–19 (KJV)
Verse 17: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:”
Verse 18: “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
Verse 19: “The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”
· Although my bank account is almost empty, and I don't know how I'm going to pay my bills.
· Although I lost my job, and nobody seems to be hiring.
· Although the doctor gave me a troubling report, and my health is not improving.
· Although my children are giving me problems, and my family is struggling.
· Although my marriage is under pressure, and my relationships are falling apart.
· Although the price of groceries keeps rising, and my money doesn't stretch far enough.
· Although I've been praying for a breakthrough, and nothing seems to be changing.
THEME SCRIPTURE — GALATIANS 6:9 (KJV)
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
INTRODUCTION — CAN YOU TRUST GOD WHEN THINGS DON'T GO YOUR WAY?
Church, it's easy to say, “I trust God,” when everything is going well.
It's easy to trust God when the bills are paid.
It's easy to trust God when the family is getting along.
It's easy to trust God when the doctor gives you a good report.
It's easy to trust God when your prayers are answered the way you wanted.
But what happens when things don't go your way?
What happens when you pray, but the situation doesn't change?
What happens when you do everything you know to do, but the results are disappointing?
What happens when you are faithful to God, but trouble still comes?
CAN YOU TRUST GOD IN SPITE OF?
A LITTLE HUMOR
A man said, “Pastor, I have strong faith in God!”
The pastor asked, “How do you know?”
The man said, “Because I trust God with everything!”
The pastor said, “Wonderful! Do you trust Him when your money gets funny?”
The man answered, “Pastor, now you're getting personal!”
Church, everybody wants to have great faith until that faith gets tested!
We want mountain-moving faith, but we don't want to face any mountains.
We want overcoming faith, but we don't want to face anything we must overcome.
We want victorious faith, but we don't want to fight any battles.
But faith is not proven only when things are going right.
FAITH IS ALSO REVEALED WHEN EVERYTHING AROUND YOU SEEMS TO BE GOING WRONG!
Today I want to introduce you to a prophet named Habakkuk.
Habakkuk was troubled by what he saw happening around him.
He questioned why wickedness seemed to prevail.
He struggled to understand what God was doing.
But by the end of his prophecy, something remarkable happened.
His circumstances were still serious.
His questions had not all been answered in the way he might have expected.
But his attitude had changed.
He moved from questioning God to declaring his trust in God.
And he said:
“ALTHOUGH THE FIG TREE SHALL NOT BLOSSOM…”
“YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD!”
That's what I want to preach about today:
TRUST GOD IN SPITE OF!
BACKGROUND — HABAKKUK LEARNED TO TRUST GOD THROUGH TROUBLE
Habakkuk was a prophet who lived during a troubled period in Judah's history.
Violence, injustice, and wickedness troubled him.
He cried out to God, asking why these things were happening.
HABAKKUK 1:2 (KJV)
“O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!”
Habakkuk was not pretending that everything was wonderful.
He was deeply troubled.
But notice that he took his questions to God.
He did not stop believing that God was worthy of his prayers.
Then God revealed that the Chaldeans would be used in judgment, which raised even more questions for Habakkuk.
How could God use a nation more wicked than Judah to bring judgment?
Habakkuk struggled to understand.
But he continued seeking the Lord.
HABAKKUK 2:1 (KJV)
“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.”
Habakkuk decided to wait for God's answer.
And the Lord told him:
HABAKKUK 2:4 (KJV)
“Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!
By chapter 3, Habakkuk was no longer merely asking why.
He was declaring that he would trust God regardless of the circumstances.
Let's examine seven lessons that teach us how to trust God in spite of what we are going through.
POINT 1 — TRUST GOD IN SPITE OF WHAT YOU SEE
2 CORINTHIANS 5:7 (KJV)
“(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
Habakkuk looked around and saw wickedness, violence, and uncertainty.
But he learned that what he saw could not be the final authority over his faith.
Church, sometimes what we see discourages us.
We see trouble in the world.
We see problems in our families.
We see sickness.
We see division.
We see financial struggles.
And we begin to wonder what God is doing.
But faith reminds us that God is greater than what we can see.
HEBREWS 11:1 (KJV)
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Bible illustration — Abraham
Abraham received a promise from God concerning a son.
But the years passed, and the circumstances seemed impossible.
ROMANS 4:19–21 (KJV)
“And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
Abraham believed God despite circumstances that seemed impossible.
Don't allow what you see to cancel what God has said.
Your circumstances may be difficult.
But God is still worthy of your trust.
DON'T LET YOUR SIGHT OVERTHROW YOUR FAITH!
POINT 2 — TRUST GOD IN SPITE OF WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND
PROVERBS 3:5–6 (KJV)
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Habakkuk had questions.
He did not understand why God was allowing certain things to happen.
But he learned to trust God's wisdom.
Church, there are things in life that we may never fully understand.
Why did this happen?
Why did that door close?
Why did the answer take so long?
Why did that relationship end?
Why did that faithful person experience such suffering?
Sometimes we do not have the answers.
But we can still trust the Lord.
Bible illustration — Job
Job lost his possessions.
He lost his children.
He suffered physically.
And he struggled to understand his suffering.
But Job continued bringing his questions before God.
JOB 13:15 (KJV)
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”
Job's trust did not mean he never struggled.
It meant he continued engaging with God in the midst of suffering.
You don't have to understand everything to trust God.
You don't have to know why everything happened.
You don't have to know how everything will turn out.
WHEN YOU CANNOT TRACE GOD'S HAND, YOU CAN STILL TRUST HIS CHARACTER!
POINT 3 — TRUST GOD IN SPITE OF UNANSWERED PRAYERS
2 CORINTHIANS 12:8–9 (KJV)
“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Paul prayed three times concerning his thorn in the flesh.
But God did not remove the difficulty as Paul requested.
Instead, God assured Paul that His grace was sufficient.
Church, sometimes God answers by changing our circumstances.
Sometimes He gives us strength to endure them.
And sometimes we must continue waiting without knowing the outcome.
But our trust in God must not depend entirely on receiving the answer we prefer.
1 JOHN 5:14 (KJV)
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to
