When all hope seems lost (pt.1)

When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops. Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls--

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. (Habakkuk 3:16-19)

In October of 1996, world class cyclist Lance Armstrong heard dreadful and troubling news: he had cancer. Indeed, the words “you have cancer” are the words that every person wishes he never has to hear. Moreover, Armstrong’s cancer was severe. Armstrong had testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and his brain. The doctors gave him less then a 50% chance to survive. He would have to undergo chemotherapy immediately. In one moment, Lance Armstrong’s life was turned upside down. Instead of being in competition for fun, he was in competition for his life. <>Most peopl probably know someone who has fallen victim to cancer. All of us know of someone who has heard bad news. All of us have ourselves heard bad news and have gone through severe trials or tribulations.

To the young mother, the words have been said “I’m sorry, but we could not save your baby’s life.” To the hard worker who has invested 25 years into his job, he has heard “I’m sorry, we are going to have to let you go.” To the man in his 80’s he has heard the eulogy of his wife and how she lived a full life and were married over 50 years. To the teenager, he has heard the words “We’re sorry, but your mother and I don’t love each other anymore. We just can’t seem to make things work.” Where do you go from here? How do you pick up the pieces during these times of trouble? Where is God during these times? Why does God allow these things to happen? What do I do when I feel like my life is spinning out of control?

Life doesn’t have to feel like it is spinning out of control. God has given us His Word which contains the answers to all of these questions. We know from the Bible that all of God’s children experienced pain and suffering. Some of it unwarranted, some of it brought on themselves by their sin. However, no matter what kind of suffering there is, God has a plan for it.

In this passage of scripture we see that Habakkuk has just been given some terrifying news. He heard news so horrible that his whole body literally trembled. He heard news so horrible that he realized his land was going to become desolate. However, through this time of trouble and fear, Habakkuk kept his faith in his God.

How can we keep our faith in times of trouble? This passage of scripture shows us three ways:

<>1. We can keep our faith in God through times of trouble by accepting the situation. (v.16-17)

What do I mean by “accepting the situation?” Look at verse 16. Habakkuk’s body trembled, his lips shook. Seemingly every part of his body was being affected by the news that he had just heard. He was very nervous and very frightened. What on earth could cause someone to be this troubled?

In the first seventeen verses of the book, the Lord informs the prophet Habakkuk what was going to take place in his beloved Judea. The Babylonians, an exceedingly wicked people, were going to march through the region and take Habakkuk’s people captive. God describes the Babylonians as being “terrible and dreadful” and that “they will all call for violence.” They are a “bitter and hasty nation.” Indeed, Habakkuk had reason to be anxious.

But notice what Habakkuk feels after he admits how troubled and nervous he is about the impending doom of Judah. He yearns for some type of respite during the day of invasion. However, he knew that this was not going to take place. The Lord had decided that because of Israel’s sin this impending invasion was going to take place and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Habakkuk had no choice by to accept his situation.

Lance Armstrong had to accept his situation also. When one is give then news of cancer, there is not much one can do about it. Cancer decides who it will come to. Cancer decides when it will come. Cancer decides how bad it will be. Thankfully, through the miracles of modern medicine, we can help curb the effects of cancer. However, not all cancer is curable. Lance Armstrong was given less then a 50% chance to live. What would you do if that news was given to you? What would you do if God told you your country was going to be ransacked and you would be taken hostage by a foreign people?

When facing troubles such as these, God has provided us a specific book that we can consult in times of trouble: the Psalms. Psalm 119 and 120 in particular feature the sovereignty of God amidst trouble. Psalm 119:145 says “I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O Lord! I will keep Your statutes…save me, and I will keep your testimonies.” Unfortunately for Habakkuk if he felt this way, it did not matter. The Lord had spoken and destruction was coming. All Habakkuk could do was wait the day of destruction.

God is sovereign. As believers, we will have suffering. If we have disobeyed God, we can expect our sin to have consequences. But not all suffering comes from our sin. We live in fallen world which affects our life. Sometimes the first step in dealing with troubles in our life is to accept what God is doing. He is in control, not us. Take heart though, that God has given us His word to comfort us in times of trouble. God wants us to draw near to him and consult His Word if we will accept the situation.

(Part 2 tomorrow)