INTRODUCTION

Are you going through life’s adversities, difficulties and dark days in your life? Do you ask God,
“God, where are you?” “Why do you let this happen in my life? Why is there so much trouble,
injustice and calamities in this world today?

If you ask God for those type of questions, you are not alone. Centuries ago, Prophet Habakkuk also
faced the same perplexing problem in life that we’re facing today.

In Habakkuk chapter 1, there is a perplexing problem. Habakkuk looked around and asked, “God,
where are You?” Why do you let all of this happen? But in Habakkuk 2, God gave him the proper
perspective in life. God gave Habakkuk a vision and He spoke to him and gave him a proper
perspective. In Habakkuk 3, Habakkuk ended his questions with a profound praise. Habakkuk
praised God, not because the circumstances had been removed, but he praised God because of his
presence during the dark days.

Do you want your sorrow turn into praise? Do you want to have a proper perspective in life that
despite mountain of adversities, you will end up in praise like Habakkuk? The reason is that
Habakkuk understood the true meaning of FAITH when God said to him, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS
SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” (Hab. 2:4) The word “righteous” here means UPRIGHT. This verse is
repeated three times in the New Testament. (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38)

As believers of Jesus, we do need FAITH during the dark and difficult days in our lives so that we
can see our difficulties in proper perspective that will enable us to praise Him.

One:
IT IS FAITH THAT DOES NOT LIVE BY EXPLANATIONS BUT BY PROMISES OF GOD.
(HABAKKUK 1:1-2)
Habakkuk had some real problems. (Habakkuk 1:1-2) Habakkuk had been praying, but things did not
get better, only worse. There are two words for “cry” in these verses. The first word for “cry” is used
like a cry for help. He’s crying out for help.

The second word for “cry” means “a shout,” almost a scream. He’s shouting at God. He’s saying,
“God, where are You?” There was the problem but the Heaven was silent. (Habakkuk 1:2) The
problem of violence, lawlessness, destruction, injustice, strife, perversion and conflict. (Habakkuk
1:3-4) The moral condition of Habakkuk’s day was deplorable. They had hit bottom.

Habakkuk was complaining to God about the Babylonians who were wicked and cruel and ruthless
people. They were going to come against God’s people and conquer the land. They were going to be
successful, and God’s people would be in retreat. Habakkuk was crying out, asking why God didn’t
speak. This was perplexing to Habakkuk; he could not understand it.

But do you know what God said to him? "That even if I would tell you something in your days, you
would not believe even if you were told. (Hab. 1:5)

In other words, God is saying to him that it would do no good to try to explain what He was going to
do because Habakkuk wouldn’t believe it nor could he understand it. Why? Because we do not live
by explanations but by promises of God.

TRUE FAITH IN GOD DOES NOT LIVE BY EXPLANATIONS.

True Faith in God does not live by explanations. God is not going to explain everything why certain
things are happening to us. God does not owe us any explanation even for the adversities we are
going through in life. Even if He would explain it, we couldn’t understand it. (John 16:12, Isaiah
55:8-9, Romans 11:33-34) God is not going to limit Himself to what we can understand. We don’t
understand even the simplest things. Thus, just because what is happening to us doesn’t make any
sense to us, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t make sense to us and to God. Just because it doesn’t make
sense to us now, doesn’t mean that it will not make sense later on.

INDEED, HABAKKUK WAS STUNNED BY GOD'S ANSWER. HE COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!
But later God answered Habakkuk. And truly, Habakkuk was stunned when he got the answer. He
asks God how long will he continue to see all of this violence, sin and perversion. (Habakkuk 1:11-
13) God told him that it was going to get worse. God said that He was going to raise up a bitter
nation that would come against the people. (Habakkuk 1:13) Habakkuk was confused as to how God
could let the Babylonians come against them. But God told him, "Habakkuk, JUST LIVE BY
FAITH." (Hab 2:4) LIVE BY GOD’S PROMISES and not by explanations.

Therefore, in tough times, instead of asking God why, we just need to trust Him and get hold of
God’s promises than asking for explanations from God that we cannot understand.

TWO:

IT IS FAITH THAT DOES NOT LIVE BY APPEARANCES BUT BY THE PROVIDENCE OF

GOD. (HABAKKUK 2:1)

If we get our faith from appearances, then we will be riding a roller coaster all of the time. (Hab. 2:1)
Habakkuk decided that he would stop shouting at God and, instead, get quiet and begin listening to
God. He went to a place where he could get alone with God. Thus, his sighting turned to seeing.
Then, he saw the nation’s problem by faith because of the providence of God.

What did Habakkuk see by faith that God provides?

a) The reliability of Scripture. (Habakkuk 1:2-3)

God instructs Habakkuk to write the book of Habakkuk that bears his name. Oftentimes, the problem
with God’s people today is that they are running with their problems without reading the word of
God. The reason we do not know what to do with our difficulties because we do not read and consult
God and his word

We need to hear a clear word from God because in dealing with problems, the Word of God is of
supreme and of paramount importance. But oftentimes, the people of God in this generation are
moved by subjective personal experience and emotional encounters with their “inner self” rather than
a sure word from God. We need to have a sure word from God; we’re not to run until we read.

Because faith comes from hearing and by hearing the word of God. (Rom. 10:17)
And once we have faith which is produced by the word of God, we will look beyond the physical to
the spiritual. We will have faith that looks beyond the present to the future. We will have faith that
looks beyond the temporary to the eternal. Faith can’t fail, and sin can’t win.

(b) The retribution of the wicked. (Habakkuk 2:5-6)

Habakkuk begins to talk about the judgment that’s going to come. Habakkuk had asked God how He
could let these ungodly people do what they were doing. God responded that He knew what He was
doing, and there is a judgment coming. That is why the word “WOE” is mentioned five times.
(Habakkuk 2: 6, 12,15, 19) God warns against moral corruption. (2:12) and spiritual corruption.
(2:19) And God will bring judgment to them.

Indeed, we should not be misled by what we see in our society today. God is the God of
PROVISION and SUPPLY. He is a God of JUDGMENT as expression of his divine providence. He
will never abandon his people nor forsake them. But He will also judge the wicked people and that is
part of God’s providence for the wicked. They will pay for their wickedness on earth in due time.

THREE:

IT IS FAITH THAT DOES NOT LIVE BY CIRCUMSTANCES BUT BY PRAISE TO GOD.

(HABAKKUK 3:1-3)

First, Habakkuk started out sighing, then he’s seeing, and finally he ends up singing because he has
seen God’s glory. (Habakkuk 3:1-3) In verse one, it means “with deep feeling and praise.” Here,
Habakkuk had been asking for a reason, and what he got was a REVELATION. In troubling times,
we don’t need to know WHY. But what we need to know is WHO? We need to know is WHO is on
control of everything. Of course, it our it is GOD! We have to believe that God is GOOD, all the time
and every time.

If we know in our hearts that God remains to be good in all circumstances in our lives, WE CAN
REJOICE IN HIS GOODNESS. (Habakkuk 3:17-18) Because if our joy is rooted in anything that
can be touched or tampered with, then we have an unstable joy. So, where are you getting your joy?
If you lose your job, will you still have joy? If you lose your health, will you still have joy? If you
lose your possessions, will you still have joy?
WE WILL NEVER KNOW THAT GOD IS ENOUGH UNTIL GOD IS ALL THAT WE HAVE.
But if we get our joy from God and not from what we have, we can rejoice in God no matter what
happens in our lives. True children of God rejoice in the God of their salvation. ( Hab 3:18) We may
never know that God is enough until God is all we have.

When we find out that God is all we have, we’re going to find out (like Habakkuk) that not only is
God necessary, but He’s enough. And if we know that God is sufficient and enough for us, we can
praise Him in our dark days. We’re going to praise God no matter what the circumstances are.

CONCLUSION

Brethren, if you don’t have this kind of FAITH then you have nothing to hold on to. There will be
chaos and turmoil in your heart. The situation in the world today will get increasingly calamitous.
The Bible makes it clear that in the last days, perilous times shall come. (2 Timothy 3:1)

But if you have true faith in God, you will REJOICE in his goodness no matter what. But it is only
when you have FAITH that:

A) DOES NOT LIVE BY EXPLANATIONS BUT BY PROMISES (HABAKKUK 1:1-2)

B) DOES NOT LIVE BY APPEARANCES BUT BY PROVIDENCE (HABAKKUK 2:1)
C) DOES NOT LIVE BY CIRCUMSTANCES BUT BY PRAISE (HABAKKUK 3:1-3)

“Forever,
Always,
I
Trust
Him”