June 29 THANK GOD! ANYHOW! ANYWAY! Habakkuk 3:17-19
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall 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, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
102 Pilgrims, in 1620, arrived in the New World. 56 died due to starvation, disease and the cold during the first winter. In 1621, 46 Pilgrims and 91 Indians met to give thanks for a bountiful harvest and for the preservation of their lives. Those folks had every reason to be depressed and discouraged, but they were thankful anyhow! The book of Habakkuk was written against a backdrop of apostasy, judgment and unbelievable hardship. It was written during a time when Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, led the people back into idolatry and away from the Lord. As a result, God is preparing to judge the nation. Habakkuk is having trouble understanding why God would use a heathen nation like Babylon to punish His people. He cannot understand why God doesn’t just purge their sins and draw them back to Himself and to righteousness. Habakkuk is a lot like Job. He argues his case, but in the end, he realizes that God is not to be worshiped merely because of the temporal, material and physical blessings of life, but simply for Who He is. Thus, he ends his words with a song of thanksgiving to God for Who He is and for the unchanging benefits that belong to those who know Him! Habakkuk had reason to fret, but he chose to be thankful instead! The keywords of these verses are “although” and “yet”. Habakkuk is saying, “I sure don’t understand all that is happening, but I am going to thank God anyhow!” My purpose, today, is to show that regardless of how things may look on the surface, we have a reason to “Thank God Anyhow!” We need to THANK GOD THAT HIS SOVEREIGNTY NEVER CHANGES! Folks, Circumstances change, God never does – (Our economy, COVID19, Weather, etc...). At this very moment, I may not be able to rejoice in my situation, but I can always rejoice in my Sovereign God! Habakkuk is painting a bleak portrait of the future, but he looks away to a God Who is always the same! The One we can depend on in desperate time; we can trust in troublesome time; we can believe during unbelievable times; we can lean on Him at all times! We may not always know what He is doing; but we can always trust Him to do what is right. We may not always understand His plan, but we can trust Him to have the best plan. No matter how things may appear, God is still in control. He still knows best and He always does what is right and if I can believe this, then 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 becomes a possibility in my life! “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” REMEMBER, He will always be God; therefore we can be thankful anyhow! We need to THANK GOD THAT HIS SALVATION NEVER CEASES: Things might get bad in this life, but things do not affect my salvation! Salvation does not depend on things going well. Salvation rests solely on the grace and power of God! Life is uncertain at best, but salvation is eternal in nature. The word “salvation” means “deliverance and rescue”. That reminds me that this world is not my home. He is coming to rescue and deliver His children on day! I am excited that this includes me! How about you? Things may get bad here, but this world is not our home! We are headed to a better land! Praise God, the Lord has been good here, but the best is yet to come! Things may get bad here, but things cannot take away my salvation. God’s children are saved “to the uttermost”. – That is as saved as you can get! I May lose everything here, but I can’t lose Him or what He has given me! God’s salvation never ceases; therefore we can be thankful anyhow! We need to THANK GOD THAT HIS STRENGTH NEVER COLLAPSES: Our strength does not lie within us. The Lord is our strength. When we are unable to stand, He enables us. When we can’t go on, He helps us. When we are in the deep valley; He leads us to higher ground. “Hind’s feet” – speaks of grace, agility and swiftness. “High places” speaks of the mountain tops where the deer is free from the dangers found below. Habakkuk is telling us that God enables him to rise above his circumstances and that God gives him the strength to stand above the battle and to enjoy precious freedom in the Lord! In other words, he is saying, “God turns my doubts to shouts! And He gives me peace in midst of my problems!” That is what God did for Job and Paul and that is what He can and will do for you! God enables His children to stand when their own strength fails; therefore we can be thankful anyhow! In his trials, Habakkuk learned a valuable lesson. He learned a lesson that all of God’s children need to learn. He learned that God is both our salvation and our song. He learned that he had nothing to fear from life, but that he had a real reason to be thankful anyhow! If you are saved, you possess every reason to be thankful that Habakkuk possessed. So, regardless of what you might be facing today, look to God, lean on God and be thankful anyhow! May we love as God loves us and gave himself up for us!! May we lay aside the attitudes and behaviors that would hinder our service and gratitude, and dig deeper in the Word and exercise spiritual growth and embrace the responsibility to serve Him and to edify Him! BOTTOM LINE: WE NEED TO BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US AND TO LIVE SO THAT WE EXPRESS OUR THANKFULNESS! What God does with you, depends upon what you do! It Always has; It Always will!! Be sure, be productive and continue to share the Love of God with others! To God Be the Glory! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…Remember, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!! (Source: Sermon Central)