We all want to be the kind of people who trust God no matter what; people whose hearts are more at peace than they are in a state of panic; people who can look at circumstances that appear beyond all hope and know that, with God, there’s always hope.
But we all know that life isn't always ideal ... Many times, as Lysa TerKeurst says: "God's timing seems questionable, His lack of intervention seems hurtful, and His promises seem doubtful", and that's when fear and confusion seep into our hearts.
Have you ever been there? At that point where, as much as you wish you didn't, you can't help but feel disappointed that God isn't doing what you (and me) assume a good God should do?
How do we praise the Lord and trust Him even when life is hard? What does it mean to trust God when life does not go as planned?
The prophet Habakkuk didn't completely understand how or why, when the people of Israel cried out to God for relief, God said, "Don't worry, I'm going to use the even more evil Babylonians to sort things out!"
But what Habakkuk could do was rejoice - NOT rejoice in the trouble they faced, but rejoice because he had learned to rely on the wisdom, justice, and sovereignty of God, no matter what the circumstances in front of his eyes looked like.
So much so that he ends his writing with this incredible affirmation: “Even though the fig tree does not blossom, and there are no grapes on the vines; even if the olive harvest fails, and the fields produce nothing edible; even if the flock is snatched from the sheepfold, and there is no herd in the stalls - as for me, I will rejoice in the LORD. I will find my joy in the God who delivers me.
The LORD God is my strength — He will make my feet like those of a deer, equipping me to tread on my mountain heights." Habakkuk 3: 17 - 19
A modern paraphrase of this passage might sound like this: “Though the cupboard be bare, the bills coming due, my car repossessed, a pink slip in my hand, and no jobs in town, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”
To be clear: this isn't a “grit your teeth and hang on” mentality, and this kind of rejoicing doesn't ignore the reality of the situation. The bottom line is not circumstances, but God. He is our source of confidence and strength, the only Rock on which we can rely.
No matter how bad things may seem, God is in control. Nothing happens without His knowledge. Matthew 10: 29 - 31 says, “Not one sparrow (What do they cost? Two for a penny?) can fall without your Father knowing it. … So don’t worry! You are more valuable to Him than many sparrows.”
If God’s eye is on the sparrow, He’s DEFINITELY watching you. In the midst of disappointment and uncertainty, His hand is there to guide you and His strength is there to support you. You are never out of His reach! For He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” (Hebrews 13: 5c)
He loves you, and cares about what is going on in your life. He hears your cries and sees your pain. And He understands what you're going through.