Await God's Timing Habakkuk 1:2-3,
-5-6, 13; 2:2-4; 3:16-19, June 24, 2007
Introduction
Today I visited the hospital where my
sister is facing death. She had a severe stroke 14 years ago, and
has been confined to a wheelchair for several years. Her husband, my
brother-in-law, has been a superior
care giver during these years. Now my sister lingers at death's door.
She said many times, "I am tired of
this!. I could ask with Habakkuk,"how long Lord," but as I do I
recognize anew He is Lord, and we must
Await God's Timing.
1. Await God's
Timing
Trusting His . . Wisdom.1:2-3, 5-6
A. Trusting His
Wisdom
In Spite Of . . Interrogating People. 1:2-3
2
How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen, or cry out
to You about violence and You do not save? 3 Why do You force me to
look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing,
and conflict escalates.
B. Trusting His Wisdom
In Spite Of . . Impetuous Nations. 1:5-6
5
Look at the nations and observe be utterly astounded! For something is
taking place in your days that you will not believe when you hear
about it.
6 Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter, impetuous nation
that marches across the earth's open spaces to seize territories not
its own.
God's wisdom must be wiser than
mans'. His wisdom prevails in spite of peoples interrogation; or the
impetuousness of the nations. Habakkuk boldly questioned God, and we
might even say his arrogance
showed. How do we establish a line between asking God respectfully, and
arrogantly? I think submission
to His Lordship must be a key ingredient if we question God's actions,
or seemingly, lack of them. Some
nations demonstrated impetuous behavior in disrespect of God, and In
His timing He made them look
foolish. Let us learn for such mistakes.
2. Await God's
Timing
Trusting His . . Ways. 1:13; 2:2-4 A.
A. Trusting His Ways In
Spite Of Our . . Doubts. 1:13
13
(Your) eyes are too pure to look on evil, and You cannot
tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous?
Why are
You silent while one who is wicked swallows up one
who is more righteous than himself.
B. Trusting His
Ways In Light Of His . . Directions. 2:2-4
2
The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on
tablets so one may easily
read it. 3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies
about the end and will not lie. Though it
delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late. 4
Look, his ego is inflated; he is without
integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.
We may trust God's ways in spite of doubts
because we trust His Word. Habakkuk expressed his doubts
to God for tolerating many sinful ways. We express our ignorance when
we try to tell God about His
character, and how He must act. The scriptures tells us His ways are
above our ways, and His thoughts
above our thoughts. God answered Habakkuk specifically by giving Him a
directed message to write down
for him, and all of us in future generations. Note the words,
"appointed time," "delays," and "will not be
late." I like the song that says, "He may not be there when you want
Him but He will be there right on
time." If we look back over our lives we will see how many times God
worked in His timing and not ours.
3. Await God's
Timing
Trusting His . . Watchfulness. 3:16-19
A. Trusting His
Watchfulness In . . Commercial Endeavors. 3:16
16 You have made
your merchants more numerous than the stars of the sky. The young
locust strips [the land] and flies away.
B. Trusting His Watchfulness In .
. Court Cases. 3:17
17 Your court officials
are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts,
which settle on the walls on a cold day; when the sun rises, they
take off, and no one knows where they are.
C. Trusting His Watchfulness In The .
. Conduct Kings, Officers and Shepherds. 3:18-19
18King
of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your officers sleep. Your people
are scattered across the mountains with no one to gather [them]
together.
19 There is no remedy for your injury; your
wound is severe
We must trust God's watchfulness. He knows what is
going on in our world. Commercial endeavors,
court cases, and the conduct of Kings, officers, and shepherds do not
escape His notice. Does the picture
painted in these observations make you think of today? As a minister I
am surprised, and appalled at the
number of people who can make there way to Wal-Mart on Sunday Morning
who can never make it to
church. Court cases get delay after delay as legal professionals use
the system for their desires rather than
what the court was set up for. I know some very fine men who are in the
legal profession, but some give
the rest a bad name, and the creation of lawyer jokes. Other
professions do not escape God's notice or
promised judgment. God says there is no remedy for these people and His
judgment is coming, we must
Await God's Timing. Amen? Amen!
