1. "No one starts their day with the ambition of being miserable. We want to be happy. But as Jesus has said, each day has enough trouble of its own, and that trouble threatens to steal our joy. It threatens to provoke fear or stir up worry or anxiety, or make us mean and irritable and impatient."

2. "We look around at those who are able to seem untouched by the circumstances and we respect them, we admire them. But the reality for most of us is that joy seems elusive. It looks and feels like a house of cards that we set up, but it just doesn't take very much to knock it over and that joy is then gone."

3. "What if, rather than letting circumstances hold our joy hostage, we were able to have joy despite our circumstances? The joy I'm talking about is not just a pasted-on smile when really you're doing miserable inside. I'm talking about the type of joy the Bible speaks of—that you can be sorrowful yet rejoicing."

4. "When God shows up on the scene, it's an awesome scene. And God is so awesome in his arrival that the earth shakes. Even the ancient mountains, the mountains that have been there for all of time, that have withstood weather and storm, the mountains that seem immovable—when God shows up, they just crumble to the ground."

5. "God's power is terrifying, especially if you're on the wrong side of it, if you're in the crosshairs of his bow. But if he's on your side, that same power that terrifies is the power that then becomes the power that defends you, that saves you, that protects you."

6. "He is already gone as far as he can to show you his love, to show you his heart. He is a God who is generous, who's waiting for you to ask. He's a father who loves and delights to give good gifts to his children."

7. "Friends, outside of Christ, there is only wrath. I plead with you, flee from the wrath to come. Look to Christ. Trust in him. Turn from your sin. You can have his forgiveness today."

8. "If the goal is to be successful, you will not be able to praise God when you are not. If the goal is to be close to God, then you can praise him in all circumstances. Because no matter what transpires, you will actually be compelled closer to Him."

9. "Whatever those things may be, the possibility of losing them can paralyze us with fear. And the experience of losing them can be devastating. But we can have joy despite our circumstances when we rejoice not in circumstances, but in the Lord."

10. "We may not know how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. We may not know God's timing on things as we have to wait. But as we pray, 'Lord, your will be done,' as we remember God's mighty deeds in the past and we see his heart, his character, we will by God's grace be able to wait patiently for him."

Observation Questions

1. In Habakkuk 3:2, what two specific things does Habakkuk ask God to do? What does this reveal about his understanding of God's character?

2. Looking at Habakkuk 3:3-7, what specific images does the prophet use to describe God's power? What past events from Israel's history might these references point to?

3. In Habakkuk 3:13, who is the "anointed one" that God came to deliver? How does this verse connect to God's larger plan of salvation?

4. According to Habakkuk 3:16, what physical reactions did the prophet experience when he heard God's word? What do these reactions tell us about his relationship with God?

5. In Habakkuk 3:17, what six specific things does the prophet mention as potential losses? Why would these particular items be significant to his original audience?

6. Looking at Habakkuk 3:18-19, what three things does Habakkuk declare about God? How do these declarations contrast with the circumstances described in verse 17?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Habakkuk begin his prayer by asking God to "renew" His deeds rather than asking Him to stop the coming judgment? What does this suggest about the proper focus of prayer in difficult times?

2. Throughout the chapter, Habakkuk uses intense imagery of God's power (mountains crumbling, nations trembling). How does this portrayal of God's might relate to the prophet's personal declaration of trust in verses 17-19?

3. The prophet moves from trembling fear (verse 16) to confident joy (verses 18-19). What causes this transformation in his attitude? How does this progression inform our own spiritual journey?

4. What is the significance of Habakkuk describing God as "my Savior" and "my strength" in verses 18-19? How does this personal language differ from simply acknowledging God's power?

5. How does Habakkuk's example of choosing to rejoice despite circumstances challenge contemporary views of happiness and joy?

Application Questions

1. When was the last time you felt your joy being "held hostage" by circumstances? What specific truths about God's character could help you find joy in similar situations?

2. Think about an area of your life you're reluctant to fully surrender to God. What fears or doubts are holding you back? What would complete surrender look like in this situation?

3. Habakkuk physically trembled when confronted with God's holiness and power. When was the last time you were truly awestruck by God's character? How can you cultivate a deeper sense of awe in your daily walk with Him?

4. What "fig trees" in your life (things you depend on for security or happiness) might God be asking you to hold loosely? How can you practice finding joy in God rather than these things?

5. Like Habakkuk, when have you had to wait patiently through difficult circumstances? What specific practices helped you maintain trust in God during that time?

Additional Bible Reading

1. Psalm 77:1-20 - A psalm that, like Habakkuk 3, moves from distress to confidence by remembering God's mighty deeds in history.

2. Romans 8:28-39 - Expands on how God works all things for good and nothing can separate us from His love, providing a New Testament parallel to Habakkuk's trust in God's sovereignty.

3. James 1:2-4 - Offers insight into how trials can develop spiritual maturity and complete faith, helping us understand the purpose behind difficult circumstances.

4. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - Presents the eternal perspective that enables joy in suffering, much like Habakkuk's ability to rejoice despite circumstances.

Sermon Main Topics

I. Evaluating Our Present Joy and Circumstances

II. Praying for God’s Will to Be Done (Habakkuk 3:1-2)

III. Remembering God’s Past Mighty Deeds (Habakkuk 3:3-15)

IV. Rejoicing in the Lord Despite Circumstances (Habakkuk 3:16-19)

V. Trusting God’s Sovereignty and Salvation

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Detailed Sermon Outline

- A plea for God’s intervention and faithfulness.

- Balancing justice with divine compassion.

Well, good morning.

How are you today?

How many times do you think that you've been asked that question this week, though? How are you? And how many times do you think that you've been asked that question? You haven't given it a second thought. You just say, I'm fine, and you move on with the rest of your day.

But really think about this for a little bit. How are you doing right now?

Or let's make it a little more interesting. What if we ask the people around you, the people that know you best, the people in your office that see you come in every day, the roommate who sees you go to bed and wake up in the morning? Your spouse, your close friends? What if we asked them to describe you? How would they describe you?

Would they say that you are somebody who is irritable, somebody who's joyful, somebody who tends to be sad, somebody who tends to be angry? How would they describe you if we asked them that question? You know, no one starts their day with the ambition of being miserable. I'm going to be miserable today. Yes.

No one starts their day that way. We want to be happy. But as Jesus has said, each day has enough trouble of its own, doesn't it? And that trouble threatens to steal our joy. It threatens to provoke fear or stir up worry or anxiety, or make us mean and irritable and impatient.

We look around at those who are able to seem untouched by the circumstances and we respect them, we admire them. But the reality for most of us is that joy seems elusive. It looks and feels like a house of cards that we set up, but it just doesn't take very much to knock it over and that joy is then gone.

But what if it didn't have to be this way?

What if, rather than letting circumstances hold our joy hostage, we were able to have joy despite our circumstances? The joy I'm talking about is not just a pasted on smile when really you're doing miserable inside it. I'm talking about the type of joy the Bible says speaks of this type of joy. That you can be sorrowful yet rejoicing. Or the way the Bible speaks of having a joy that runs deeper than just a paste on smile.

But it's a joy that is a deep seated contentment no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. Is that possible? And if so, how is that possible? How can we have joy despite our circumstances? How can we trust God when the challenges that we're facing seem insurmountable?

And the challenges that we're facing? We know that God has allowed them into our lives. How can we trust him, I wonder? Have you ever asked that question? Have you ever felt that way?

Have you ever wanted to be free from your joy, being held hostage by the circumstances of your life? Well, if you've ever felt that way, if you've ever asked these questions, the Bible has something to say to us this morning. So if you have a Bible, I invite you to open with me to the Book of Habakkuk. We'll be looking at chapter three together. If you're looking at the red Bible in front of you, that book Habakkuk will be found on page 931.

If you're new to the Bible, I'll be referring to chapters and verses throughout our time together, and hopefully I'll be referring to those things so you can follow along as we look at the text together. The chapter is the big number, the verses are the smaller numbers, and we'll be referring to both of those throughout our time together, so you can follow along. So let's just begin by looking at this text, beginning in verse one of chapter three, and read it together. A prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet on Shegenoth O 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. God came from Taman, the Holy One from Mount Puran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth.

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. I saw the tents of Kishon in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. Were you angry with the rivers, O Lord?

Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea? When you rode with your horses and your victorious chariots, you uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw you and writhed, torrents of water swept by.

And the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. Sun and moon stood still on the heavens, and at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear, in wrath you strode through the earth, and in anger you threshed the nations. 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 the head with his own spear.

You pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses churning the great waters. I heard and my heart pounded. My lips quivered at the sound. Decay crept into my bones and my legs trembled.

Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud, there are no grapes on the vines. Though the olive crop fails and the field 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 go on the heights, the director of music on my stringed instruments. Friends, this is our third and final Sunday in the book of Habakkuk for a while as we wrap up the book together. As we've seen in our time in this book, Habakkuk was a prophet in Judah.

It was a southern tribe. Israel in the north, had been captured by Assyria. They've been put off into exile. Judah was left in the south. And Habakkuk was a prophet in Judah sometime around the late seventh century bc.

And when we begin the book together in chapter one, what we found was Habakkuk surrounded by injustice and in violence and calamity all around him. And that violence and that injustice was being committed by his own people, God's own people. And he was shocked by it. He was appalled by it. And so Habakkuk comes to God with a question.

His first question, chapter one, was, God, why don't you do something about this evil? These are your people who are supposed to reflect you. How can you stand this? And what was God's answer? I am doing something.

I'm raising up the Babylonians, and they will bring justice when they come against you.

Then last week, when we looked at the end of chapter one, into chapter two, we heard Habakkuk's second question, which was essentially, well, God, isn't there a plan B? I don't know if I like that plan. These guys are evil. These guys are crazy. They're going to destroy us.

And how can you, a God who is holy, who cannot look upon evil, how can you use an instrument like Babylon? This doesn't make any sense. God, what are you doing? And again, God graciously answered the prophet. And his answer was essentially, listen, Habakkuk, you Need to trust me.

I'm going to use Babylon to bring justice to this land. But when I'm done using Babylon, I'll turn around and I will bring justice on Babylon. I will judge Babylon when I'm done with them. So that's essentially chapters one and chapter two. That's where we left off last week.

And do you remember where we ended last week? In chapter two, verse 20 said, but the Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him. See, Habakkuk wrestled with some very tough questions, questions that we often ask ourselves. But at the end of the day, when his questions were answered by this God who is holy, there was nothing left to do but to stand before this God, to be silent and to worship.

And so when we come to chapter three, instead of more questions, we find Habakkuk praying, we find Habakkuk singing. Now, in verse one, it says a prayer of Habakkuk. So what we're about to read is a prayer that he's written down for us to read. We're not exactly sure what that term shegenoph, means. Most scholars would assume or think that it's some sort of musical term.

That seems to be confirmed later on at the end in verse 19, the very last line, it says, for the director of music on my stringed instruments. So this is a prayer. This is a hymn that is meant to be sung and prayed. So why does it matter? Why do we?

Why do we? Why does it even included as the prophet of Judah, what Habakkuk was learning was not just this private lesson, something that was just for him. Habakkuk was a herald for the people of God. And so the things that he was learning was not just for him, but for all of God's people. Judah.

God's people were about to be exiled. Babylon was going to come in and take them off into exile. And they would have been asking questions. How can they trust God when times are tough like this? How could they have joy despite their circumstances?

So Habakkuk's aim in this prayer, in this hymn, in chapter three, is to encourage and to instruct God's people. Even when times are tough. The first thing he tells us to do, the first thing he instructs us in, is to pray the way that Jesus told us to pray. To pray thy will be done. That's our first point from this text, that we would pray that God's will would be done.

We see it right there in verse two, chapter three. Look again if you will 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.

It's the beginning of Habakkuk's prayer. But notice what Habakkuk doesn't pray in light of the circumstances. He didn't pray that there would be no war from Babylon. He doesn't pray that God would come and change his plan. No, Habakkuk had come to accept what God was about to do.

In fact, he knew it was the right thing because of the sin, the violence that was in the land. Instead, he prays, I stand in awe of your deeds. Renew them in our day. He's saying, God, I've heard of what you did in the past.

Do it again in our day. Do it again. And so the deeds or the work of God that he's referring to are God's actions throughout history to save and to keep a people for himself, God's people for himself. And Habakkuk is essentially saying, God, do that again. Keep and save a people for.

And with Babylon coming in this brute force, he knew he needed to pray that. But in praying for God to renew or to keep a people for himself, that word renew means not only to preserve or to keep a remnant. It also means to purify, means to protect or to correct, to get rid of evil.

I wonder, have you ever been nervous to pray for something that you're afraid to pray it because you know that God might answer that?

Don't pray for patience. God will teach you. He'll make you stand on every line that you can see around. Or you might think, I know I should be humble, but I want to pray for humility. God's going to humble me.

It's going to be painful. Even this last week, I was having lunch with a friend of mine, and he was telling me his story about how he became a Christian. And he was sharing with me that before he actually became a Christian, one of the obstacles was that he was afraid that if he actually surrendered to God, that God would just immediately make him a missionary and send him off to China or some place in Antarctica or something. He was afraid that God would do that, and so he was having trouble surrendering to God. Now, my friend, he actually did become a Christian, and God, or hasn't yet sent him over to China.

But what would be so bad if that was God's will for him? Is God not in China as well?

You see, we tend to think sometimes that happiness comes when we are free to do whatever we want, whenever we want with no restraint.

But when we come to God, assuming that we have the right to say, no, no thanks, I don't want to do that, I don't like what you're doing here. When we say to God, you can have this area of my life, but not this one. This area is mine. This is off limits. When we live like that, we will never know true joy.

Instead, we will be worried. We will constantly be looking over our shoulder, afraid that some circumstance or someone is going to opposition to our joy. And so our joy will be fleeting because of that.

What's more, when we live like that, we don't honor God. The Christian who holds back any area of his or her life from God is actually broadcasting to a watching world that God is not good. We're saying God can't be trusted in this area of my life. And so this is mine.

We're saying that the thing that we're trying to protect, our comfort, our health, the place that we live, our job, whatever that might be, we're saying in that moment, this is better than God. This is more viable than having God.

But we glorify God when we choose to follow him no matter what, even in the hard places. Because our desire in following him is because we want to be with God. And so Habakkuk prays. He prays, God, let your will be done. Renew your deeds.

Let your will be done.

Do what it takes to make your glory and your fame known around the world. Do it in our day. Let us see it now.

And then he closes with a prayer for mercy. When he says, in wrath, remember mercy. You see, Habakkuk knew Babylon was coming. And if he's looking around for some sort of grounds for Habakkuk or God's people to claim God, you shouldn't do this. There are no grounds.

He knew it was right. He knew it was just.

And so instead of claiming some right based on what they've done, the good that they've done, he instead appeals to God based on what he knows to be true about God, that he's not. He's a God who is just. Yes. And he's a God who is merciful. And so in wrath he says, remember mercy, friends, when you come to the New Testament, Hebrews 12 reminds us that God disciplines those that he loves.

So if you're here this morning and you're a follower of Christ, he does not chastise you because he hates you. God's discipline should not lead us as Children of God to despair. On the contrary, God's discipline is actually an expression of God's love. It's an expression that coming after us to bring us back to himself. And friends, in the presence of God, there's what, fullness of joy, my Christian friend, when you come to realize in your own life that there is sin that you are guilty of, I wonder what you do with that.

What's more important to you? To confess your sin in order to fight for the honor of God's name or to conceal it and to keep it to yourself in order to protect your own name and to avoid embarrassment?

Or what about us as a church? Capitol Hill Baptist Church?

Have the trials that we've gone through in the last couple of months as a church, you think about all the difficult discipline cases that we've been through, the illnesses that we've seen, the loss of loved ones, this battle and fight against sin popping up all around in our lives. Have these past few months for you? As you look at our church, have they confirmed your faith or have they shaken your faith?

And as you think about the answer to that question, I wonder who you talk to about that. Friends, God's agenda will not fail.

And we can trust him because of that. If we are to have true joy, it starts with this, praying God, your will be done. Your will be done. In my life and our life together as church, it starts with our aligning ourselves with God's agenda.

I realize it's one thing to say that, but when things start to hurt, when we start feeling the pressure of life around us, it's easy to assume the worst of God, isn't it? It's easy to assume this can't be the love of God. This hurts. It feels like God's out to get me, like he's up in a cloud, a lightning bolt ready to strike. And we're tempted to think that way about God.

And I imagine Judah, once they were exiled in Babylon, would have been faced with questions just like that. And so the prophet knew that if these people are going to trust God, if they're going to have joy despite their circumstances, they need to know that this God they're following is trustworthy. And so where does he turn their attention to to show them that God is trustworthy? He grabs our attention and says, look at the past mighty deeds of God. Look there, look back at history.

Look at the mighty deeds of gods of God. And that's the second point that we see in this text, which shows up in verses three, all the way to 15 where he's recounting the past mighty deeds of God and remembering that. Now, before we look at the text, we need to note that the key here is going to be the fact that God does not change. He's immutable. Look down at verse six.

At the end of verse six, he says the very last line. His ways. God's ways are what? They're eternal. God's ways are eternal.

It seems, you know, God rarely seems to do the same thing twice, doesn't He? I mean, I doubt many of us have seen the Red Sea part this week. I don't think many of you have walked on water, unless I'm confused. But God is a God who is infinitely creative. And because his ways are eternal, because God does not change the things that he has done in the past, his mighty deeds in history, well, they teach us something about his character.

The God who did those mighty deeds in the past is the same God that we worship today. And because we can look at the past and see what he's done, we learn something about who he is, something about his heart, something about his character. And so what we're seeing in the rest of this verses 3 to 15 is Habakkuk saying, look, look back at what God has done and you'll see that God is trustworthy. So let's look at that together. Look at verse three.

God came from Taman, the holy one, from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. Okay, so Taman and Paran would be somewhere in the Sinai Peninsula, just east of Egypt. And what Habakkuk has in mind, it seems, is he's looking back to when God came from Sinai, the place where he gave his law, when he moved from there, and he moved all the way over to Egypt to protect his people in the Exodus, that he would go before them, that he would go behind them, that he would lead his people out of slavery in Egypt to the promised land, and God would be faithful to get them there. I think that's what he has in mind when he's saying in verse three, he came from Taman, he came from Mount Paran, Verse four.

His splendor was like the sunrise. Rays flashed from his hand where his power was hidden. Plague went before him, Pestilence followed his steps. So again, that plague and Pestilence most likely being a reference to the ten plagues that God performed against Egypt to get them to let go of their firm grip on Israel. You see that showing up in the book of Exodus, verse 6.

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. When God shows up on the scene, it's an awesome scene.

And God is so awesome in his arrival that the earth shakes. Habakkuk is saying, even the ancient mountains, the mountains that have been there for all of time, that have withstood weather and storm, the mountains that seem immovable when God shows up, they just crumble to the ground. There's nothing like it. When God shows up on the scene, this is the power of God for his people. Verse 7.

I saw the tents of Kushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. It seems like Kushan and Midian are Gentile nations. It's Habakkuk's way of saying, the rest of the world, this is their response. When God shows up on the scene, they are in distress, they are in anguish. You see, God's wrath and his power are for his people, protecting his people in this trip from Egypt into the promised land.

But don't lose sight of what Habakkuk's doing. Remember, in verse two, Habakkuk said, I have heard of your fame. I have seen your mighty deeds of the past. I've stood in awe of them, renew them in our day. He's saying, God, do it again, do it in our day.

Just like you did then. Do it in our day. And he goes on, in verse 8, he keeps going. Verse 8. Were you angry with the rivers, O Lord?

Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode with your horses and your victorious chariots? You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows, you split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by the deep, roared and lifted its waves on high.

Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. Here, if you're familiar with the Old Testament, it's a reference, it seems, back to the book of Joshua. And God was fighting for his people. And why did God command the sun and the moon to stand still? Because he needed a little more time to defeat his enemies.

And so he said, sun, moon, stop while he defeated his enemies. This is the power of God for his people. Verse 12. In wrath you strode to the earth, and in anger you threshed the nations.

Friends, when you read through these verses, the language that Habakkuk is using is terrifying. Do you notice that this language of God coming on the Scene just do a quick glance. Verse 4. Raised like lightning from his hand. Verse 5.

Plague and pestilence. Verse 6. The earth shakes, mountains crumble, nations tremble. Verse 7. Nations in anguish.

Verse 8. Anger, wrath, rage. Verse 9. Bows and arrows that God shooting. Verse 10.

Mountains that writhe in his presence. Verse 11. Sun and moon that stand still when God comes on the scene. When he shows up, it's terrifying.

Now we know why Habakkuk said earlier in his prayer in wrath, God remember mercy. When God pulls out his bow and he calls for many arrows and he puts them in the string, friends, we do not want to be in the crosshairs of his aim. God does not miss his target. God always hits bullseye.

Tonight you're thinking, well, how in the world is this encouraging?

How is this encouraging? How would this be of help to God's people that Habakkuk is writing this for?

Well, it all comes down to knowing why God came. Look down again at verse 13. You came out. Why? 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 with his own spear. You pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses churning the great waters. Friends, God came to deliver his people.

That's this display of this terrifying power and might of God.

God's power is terrifying, especially if you're on the wrong side of it, if you're in the crosshairs of his bow. But if he's on your side, that same power that terrifies is the power that then becomes the power that defends you, that saves you, that protects you. Friends, our God is a strong and mighty defender of his people.

Okay? So let's not lose sight of what's going on here. Imagine you're Habakkuk for a moment, okay? So put your shoe. Put yourself in Habakkuk shoes.

So I'm looking at a room full of prophets right now, right?

Think about what he's thinking as he writes this.

Your ruthless and violent neighbor Babylon, well, they've packed their bags. They've got their army in line, and they're coming. And why are they coming? Not to have dinner. They're coming to destroy.

They're coming to judge. And who are they coming to judge? Who are they coming to destroy? Judah. They're coming to destroy Judah.

But if you're Habakkuk, you're Judah, you're part of that people. You're strapped to the target where God's shooting his arrows. So the question becomes, then for Habakkuk, will we be swept away with the fury and the wrath of Babylon when they come in? I mean, God, these people are not very discriminate. They just come out and kind of wipe people away.

How can I survive? How can the people of God survive?

How can we live?

Well, he told us last week, didn't he? Chapter 2, verse 4. The righteous shall live by their faith.

So how could Habakkuk. How could God's people know that God would do this? That the righteous would actually live by faith, that God would be faithful to keep his word? Well, by looking at the past deeds of God, the mighty deeds of God in history, and realizing that because God does not change, because God has saved a people in the past, and he's always done that because his ways are eternal. He will do it today.

He will do it for Habakkuk. He will do it for them. So Habakkuk and God's people could be confident even as the Babylonians were approaching. They could be confident because they knew that God was their protector.

Friends, it's a privilege for me to preach God's word here. But preparing sermons has its challenges. If you bumped into me on Friday, let me just apologize. Even now, I was a bit of a grumpy person. I'm sorry.

I probably wasn't the most pleasant. I had been studying and praying and thinking, and it felt like I was just walking through molasses, you know, it was not coming, but I knew that Sunday was coming. And I knew that all your faces would be looking at me as they are right now. And so I couldn't figure out, as I was praying and reading and studying, I couldn't figure out why God seemed to be silent. My heart was saying, God, Sunday is coming.

And God seemed to be stingy to me in that moment. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't coming around. He seemed distant to me. And what do you think that did to my joy? Well, it didn't help it.

Before long, my joy began to fade. And there were moments throughout the day that I would feel miserable. And I found it difficult to trust God.

But the good thing is that yesterday, when I was thinking about this very point, as I was thinking about how Habakkuk was calling his people to look back on the past deeds of God, I was Remembering Romans, chapter 8. In Romans 8, Paul writes this. He says, if God is For us, who can be against us, which itself is great. It's a wonderful truth. But then I read the next verse.

You know what he says there? He says, he who did not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also, with him freely give us all things? I had read that verse before, but it just was like, oh, it hit me. It was like the lights went on and my joy returned. As I.

I believe that I have been lying about God. In my heart, I've been thinking God was stingy.

But God is not stingy. He's not this cruel God sitting there with his arms crossed, just taking delight as we squirm. No, God is a God who is generous. And how do I know that? Because of the past deeds of God.

Because he who did not spare his own son what he did in the past, how will he not also now in the present do much more? He will continue to do that. He's already gone as far as he can to show you his love, to show you his heart. He is a God who is generous, who's waiting for you to ask. He's a father who loves and delights to give good gifts to his children.

He is a God who is for you. And we know that because of the past deeds of God. I had lost sight of that. I knew that. But I had lost sight of that.

And my joy just went downhill real quick.

Friends, our God is good. And if you are in Christ, God is for you. If God is for you, who can be against you? He's a God that we can trust. Friends, if you're here this morning and you are discouraged, if you feel depressed, if you are exhausted because of the circumstances that you find yourself in, take time to remember the mighty deeds of God in the past.

Open up your Bibles. Read, meditate, study. Think about what God has done to save you. In Christ, the God who makes the mountains crumble. You remember that God well.

This is the God who is your help. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth. When God shows up on the scene to defend you and to help you, mountains fall down, nations tremble. This is your defender.

This is your protector. This is who is for you. No matter what you find yourself in, this is your help. This is your God. He is on your side.

Trust him.

But friends, if you're here and you're not a follower of Christ, let me just say, first of all, we are thrilled that you're here with us. We. We are so glad to have you here with us. But I wonder, when you stand before God, if you were to stand before God today, what would be your hope for deliverance? What would you say to him?

If he said, why should I let you in? What would you say? What would be your hope for deliverance?

Well, did you notice what God said about delivering his people in the text we're looking at? Did you see what God's plan was? Look again at verse 13. He says, you came out to deliver your people to save your Anointed One. Now that word, anointed one is just another word for Messiah.

It's Messiah in the Hebrew, in the Greek, in the New Testament, it's Christ. Christ or Messiah is the Anointed One. He's talking about Jesus. God's plan to deliver his people has always been to do so through his Anointed One. He will deliver his people through Jesus Christ.

And so God would preserve a remnant. Even when the Babylonians came in, God would preserve a remnant. And all throughout history, he would keep a remnant in the people of God. And then through that people of God would come the Anointed One, because God kept them throughout history. And God would raise up Jesus Christ so that all could turn to him and call upon him to be saved from the wrath to come.

But notice something else, he goes on, in verse 13, he says, you crushed the leader of the land of wickedness. You stripped him from head to foot. Now, if you're an original reader, if you're the initial audience of this, the land of wickedness would be who? It would be the Babylonians. Right.

But after the Babylonians would come the Persians. And after the Persians would come another empire, and another empire and another world power would raise up after them. It's been the course of history. So who's the real leader of the land of wickedness? It's Satan.

And when Jesus came on the scene, Satan wanted Jesus dead. And so he would use people like Judas Iscariot or others to see to it that Jesus was nailed to a cross, that he would die.

It's as if Satan had his spear ready to go. And when Jesus came, he launched it at Jesus, and it went right through Jesus heart when he was nailed to the cross.

But look again at verse 14.

With his own spear, again, the leader of the land of wickedness, with his own spear, you pierced his head.

So though the spear of Satan, metaphorically speaking, right, Though the spear of Satan would kill Jesus, three days later, he would rise from the grave, victorious over sin, victorious over Satan, Victorious over death itself through the resurrection. The very spear Satan tried to kill Jesus with is the spear that Jesus would pick up and crush the head of Satan and victory would be won. So, friends, again, if you're here and you're not a follower of Jesus, here's what you need to understand. The Bible is clear that though God has made each and every one of us to follow him, to love him, to trust him, to treasure him above all things in this world, every one of us has fallen short of the glory of God. Every one of us has gone our own way and said, no, I'm going to live life my own way.

I'm going to be ruler, king of my own life. We say that proudly to God and that pride, that rebellion is what the Bible calls sin.

So every one of us has gone our own way and we deserve the wrath of God. We deserve to be put in the crosshairs of God's bow and arrow. That's what we deserve.

But 600 years after this prophecy of Habakkuk, God would step into human flesh as a man named Jesus. And Jesus would live on this earth and live the the perfect life without sin. And so when he was nailed to that cross and the spear went through his heart, so to speak, he didn't die for his own sin. He had no sin to give an account for. He died for our sin.

He died in the place of anyone who would turn from their sin and trust in Jesus.

And then in saving his anointed in God, raising up Jesus from the dead, God through Christ, stands ready to deliver anyone who will do just that, who will turn from their sin and trust in Christ. So friend, I urge you, do not presume upon the grace of God. Do not presumptuous. Do not be presumptuous with him. Because outside of Christ, there is no salvation.

Outside of Christ, there is only wrath. I plead with you, flee from the wrath to come. Look to Christ. Trust in him. Turn from your sin.

You can have his forgiveness today. You can know what it means to be reconciled with him today. If you have any questions about what it means to do that, we would love to talk with you. If you want to talk to somebody at the door, I'll be at that door afterwards. Any of the guys at the door, we'd love to talk with you.

Don't put this off. Don't presume upon God.

Habakkuk has prayed this. God, your will be done in my life and the life of your people. He's also remembered God's past mighty deeds. And in seeing that he's seen the character of God, that he could trust him. And so now he comes and he brings this hymn or this prayer to a conclusion where he finally is able to rejoice in the Lord.

That's the third and final point that we see in this text, that he rejoices in the Lord. We see that in verses 16 through 19. Look there, if you will.

I heard and my heart pounded. My lips quivered at the sound. Decay crept into my bones and my legs trembled.

Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come upon the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud, there are no grapes on the vines. Though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no fruit. 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 go on the heights.

So let me ask you again.

How are you doing? How are you doing today?

When you think of the answer to that question, does your mind immediately go to your circumstances in order to answer that question?

Well, how does Habakkuk answer that question?

Verse 17. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes in 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, his circumstances are not good. Right? This is the livelihood.

This is what he has to eat. This is. This is what he's living. This is what his hope is in. Apart from God.

But yet I will rejoice in the Lord.

The prophet knew that Babylon was coming. And when Babylon came, it would just. It would just destroy the land. There'd be nothing left. There would be no vine, there would be no fig tree, there would be no cattle because they would destroy the land.

Habakkuk began in chapter one, asking questions, complaining. But by the time we get to chapter three, he's doing what? He's rejoicing. And what has changed in his circumstances? Nothing.

Circumstances didn't change. Instead, Habakkuk was changed. And even in these circumstances, he was able to rejoice. It looks like it didn't happen overnight. But Haz Habakkuk wrestled with the tough questions that he had as he listened to God's word.

His faith was built up, it was growing. And he finally had learned how to have joy despite his circumstances.

Friends, what does that look like for you? I doubt many of you have a field of sheep in your backyard, right? I doubt many of you have a whole group of fig trees that you're selling produce off in a backyard. You might, but I doubt many of us do. So what are the things in your life that can fail you?

A marriage.

Not being married. Children, your job, Your health, Being successful.

Friends, whatever those things may be, the possibility of losing them can paralyze us with fear. And the experience of losing them can be devastating. So again, how can we have joy despite our circumstances? How did habakkuk verse 18 I will rejoice not in circumstances, but what in the Lord. I will rejoice in the Lord.

His joy will was rooted in God and who God was and in knowing him. One writer said it this way. If the goal is to be successful, you will not be able to praise God when you are not. If the goal is to be close to God, then you can praise him in all circumstances. Because no matter what transpires, you will actually compel you closer to Him.

So for some of you, poverty, sickness, strife and loss has pushed you closer to God more than anything else. And through that you became a worshiper because you threw yourself upon God. Habakkuk's joy was in the Lord. But he goes on in verse 18, he says, I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God.

My what? My Savior. Friends, if God did. If he never did anything for you other than sending his son to die for you and to rescue you from hell, would that be enough to praise Him? Would that be enough for you to praise Him?

Yes, it would be. I'm not saying it would be easy, but when we consider the cost of an eternity in hell under the wrath of God, when we consider the eternal value, the eternal joy of being with God in heaven, it's then that we realize we will have plenty to praise God for, for all of eternity. Habakkuk was able to praise God because he was God, his Savior. But there's one last thing. When Habakkuk was weak, where did his strength come from?

In these tough times, these difficult circumstances, where did his strength come from? Verse 19. The Sovereign Lord is my strength. So which Lord? The Sovereign One.

Right. It's the Sovereign God. And we've seen this all throughout the book of Habakkuk, our God. Habakkuk's God is the one who rules and reigns in this all the universe unchallenged. He is the one who is in ultimate control over all of human history.

He is the sovereign Lord. In Genesis it's explained this way what man intended for evil, God could bend back towards good for the good of his people and the glory of his name. In Ephesians we are told that God is the one who works all things in accordance with his good will. So what that means for us is that we may not know how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. We may not know God's timing on things as we have to wait.

But as we pray, Lord, your will be done. As we remember God's mighty deeds in the past and we see his heart, his character, we will by God's grace be able to, with habakkuk in verse 16, wait patiently for him. We will be able to live by faith. We will by God's grace be able to rejoice in any circumstance.

Charles Spurgeon puts it this Any man can sing in the day when the cup is full man draws inspiration from it. When wealth rolls in abundance around him any man can praise the God. It is easy to sing when we can read the notes by daylight but he is skillful who sings when there is no ray of light to read by, who sings from his heart? No man can make a song in the night of himself. He may attempt it, but he will find that a song in the night must be divinely inspired.

Let all things go well. I can weave songs fastening them wherever I go out of the flowers that grow upon my path but put me in a desert where no green thing grows, and how shall I frame a hymn of praise to God? No, it is not man's power to sing when all things are adverse. It is a divine song. And it was a divine song which Habakkuk sang when in the night he said, though the fig tree does not bud, and though there are no grapes on the vines, Though the olive crop fails and the field 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.

Then since our Maker gives songs in the night, let us wait upon him for the music. O thou chief musician. Let us not remain songless because affliction is upon us. But tune thou our lips to the melody of thanksgiving. Let's pray together.

Lord, help us. I pray to delight in you, to rejoice in the Lord, the God of our salvation. Help us who are weak to find our strength in the sovereign Lord. Lord, we know that this song that Habakkuk has sung is not easy to come by. It does not come on our own.

It does not come in our strength. It comes from you. It is divinely inspired.

I cannot do it for myself. I cannot do it for these people. These people cannot do it for themselves. You must do it. And so, Lord, for the glory of your name and for the good of your people, we pray, Lord, that even when times are tough, even when the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes in the vines and the olive crop fails, Lord, that we would rejoice in you.

We pray this in Jesus name, amen.