Maybe it was your first job in high school or your first job out of college, but can you remember it – and how did it go?
I came across some interesting first day on the job stories.
When Jessica was a teenager, she applied for a job at a hospital gift shop and she was super excited when they called her later and said she got the job.
When she went to her first day, the manager gave her a strange look and said there was a problem.
Turns out they interviewed two girls named Jessica and they meant to hire the other one.
They apologized and gave her a candy bar for her trouble.
Look, I would be bummed about the job, but a free candy bar is a free candy bar.
And then there’s this story…
Unknown
I got hired for a corporate job. I had my first day and it seemed to be going well and then my department got called in for a surprise meeting. Turns out we were all getting laid off.
Nothing like getting fired on your first day.
Ever had a day like that where everything seems to be going wrong?
Maybe you are having a day like that today.
The prophet Habakkuk was having a very bad day.
Sin and violence and wickedness and injustice had taken over his country.
He was burdened and crazy discouraged, and he took his burden to God.
And God told Habakkuk he would take care of things but his plan was strange.
God was sending another country that was even more sinful and violent and wicked, and they were taking over.
Habakkuk must have thought…
“With a cure like that, Lord, I think I will stick with the disease.”
How do you think you would respond to such a strange plan from God?
Or put another way:
How do you normally respond to what seems like really bad news?
And does it matter how you respond?
Listen to Habakkuk 1, beginning with verse 12:
12 Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One?
Habakkuk hears what sounds like bad news and finds himself overwhelmed and confused.
So, he feels compelled to ask God some questions.
In many ways, he already knows the answers to his questions.
So, his questions are kind of a mixture of looking for answers and affirming what he already knows.
That’s a pretty good way to respond to bad news.
He doesn’t panic
He doesn’t get mad and yell at God
He doesn’t accuse God of being unfair
He responds by remembering who God is.
Christian, that needs to be our response as well.
Go back to God’s Word.
Whatever the problem or difficulty or trial or temptation or tragedy may be, hold it up to the truth of who God has declared Himself to be in the pages of the Bible.
Habakkuk is needing to affirm some things he knows about God.
And really, he’s kind of wanting God to affirm these things.
He’s wanting to hear the Lord say what He said to Moses:
“Yes, Habakkuk. I AM who I AM.”
The scene here is kind of like me saying to my wife:
“Now, you are my wife, right?”
“And you have red hair, right?”
“And we have 4 kids, right?”
Those are questions of affirmation, not doubt – and upon affirming those things, I would be able to deal with whatever issue I was bringing to her.
Habakkuk had questions, but they were not doubting questions.
Since there’s only 47 days until Christmas, let’s consider the difference between how Zechariah and Mary responded to birth announcements from God.
The angel Gabriel gave Zechariah a message from God.
And how did Zechariah respond to Gabriel?
Luke 1:18
“How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”
“Gabriel, how do I know what you are saying is true?”
I don’t know, Zechariah, let’s start with the fact you are talking to an angel!
Zechariah’s question was a question of doubt.
Compare that to Mary.
The angel Gabriel gave her a message from the Lord as well.
How did she respond?
Luke 1:34
“How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
There’s no doubt about what God is going to do.
She just does not understand physiologically how God is going to do it.
Habakkuk does not doubt the Lord.
He just doesn’t understand.
He’s wanting God to help him understand
He’s wanting God to affirm some things
In his first question in verse 12, there are three things that Habakkuk is affirming about God.
The first thing he affirms is:
“Lord, You are everlasting.”
David Legge
From the vanishing-point to the vanishing-point Thou art God. From horizon to horizon God is God and He's God beyond it.
The Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel has no beginning and no end.
He is self-existent.
You needed God in order to exist.
If you don’t believe in God, at the very least you needed your parents in order to exist.
You are not self-existent.
God exists all by himself – he is from everlasting to everlasting.
That’s a good thing to know when we are dealing with bad news.
The second thing Habakkuk affirms is:
“Lord, You are my God.”
This isn’t just the preacher’s God or Grandma’s God or Billy Graham’s God.
Habakkuk is deeply affirming…
“This is my God!”
“I have a personal relationship with the One, True, Creator God!”
“I am daily, personally connected with the Author and Perfector and Finisher of my faith!”
Paul said it this way to Timothy:
2 Timothy 1:12
…I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
What do you believe about God?
What is he like?
How does he work?
How does he act?
What has he said about himself?
You see, truly knowing God, not just knowing stories about God, is very important when we are dealing with bad news.
The third thing Habakkuk affirms is:
“Lord, You are Holy.”
Revelation 4:8
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!
This describes the otherness of God.
R.C. Sproul
God is different from anything in the created world.
Nobody in the universe has people sing “Holy, Holy, Holy” to them at their birthday or on any other day for that matter.
Only God
He is other
He is holy
That is very good to know when we are dealing with bad news.
And what do these affirmations do for Habakkuk?
Listen again to verse 12:
12 Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One?
12 We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.
There is an immediate and amazing effect on Habakkuk when he remembers who God is and what he’s promised.
“God, you are my everlasting, holy God, and You have raised up the Chaldeans as your instrument to rebuke and judge your people.”
“But we are still your people and you are still our God.”
“Regardless of what happens here, you will keep your promise to ultimately take care of us.”
Romans 14:8
For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.
Geoff Thomas
We are the Lord’s. I know of no softer pillow at night for anyone than that.
Do you remember the words Moses gave to the people as they moved closer to the Promised Land?
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
He will not leave you.
He will not forsake you.
That is really good to know and believe when we are dealing with bad news.
And notice that Habakkuk refers to the Lord as “Rock”.
With gracious apologies to Dwayne Johnson, the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel is the Rock.
He cannot be moved
He does not change
His plans and purposes cannot be cancelled
You may not like what he does, and you may not agree with what he does, but nothing happens except what God ordains.
The story is told of a Christian woman who had a neighbor who was very skeptical about assurance of salvation.
The neighbor once asked the Christian woman:
“What if God doesn’t keep His word?”
I love her response…
“Well, His loss would be greater than mine. I would lose my soul, that’s true. But He would lose His honor.”
Friend, God will not lose His honor.
When bad news comes our way, and we feel completely overwhelmed and confused, let us remember what we know to be true about our God.
That’s what Habakkuk is doing…
God is everlasting
God is holy
God is the Rock of all ages
Habakkuk was convinced of these things.
And that puzzled him all the more.
Listen to verse 13:
13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong,
13 why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
Habakkuk is pleading:
“God, you are pure and perfect!”
“How can you look at this and not do something?”
Habakkuk is basically saying to God…
“You are using wickedness to deal with wickedness.”
“That just doesn’t seem like how you do things.”
Have you ever thought something like that?
I believe Habakkuk is saying this with deep sincerity.
But often when we think that way, what we really mean is:
“God that’s now how I would do things.”
Listen, let us rejoice and be glad that God does not do things like we would do things because we are sinful and selfish.
We have one set of rules for ourselves and another set of rules for everyone else.
We often give condemnation when we should give compassion.
But the Lord is perfect in all His ways.
Psalm 103:8
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Psalm 103:9
He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
Psalm 103:10
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
Habakkuk knows all of this is true.
But he’s in the middle of the chiding part.
And he’s confused.
He doesn’t understand why it’s all playing out this way.
God’s people are helpless.
They are about to be attacked.
Many will be killed or taken as prisoners.
Why God?
Why does it seem like the wicked are getting ahead?
But, usually, the more appropriate question is:
“God, why haven’t you already destroyed us for our on-going rebellion and disobedience?”
“God, why are you not dealing with us as you really should be dealing with us?”
Why?
Because the Lord is merciful and gracious.
Let us not forget that wonderful truth, and let us not mock His mercy and grace by continuing to rebel.
Habakkuk’s confusion continues.
Listen beginning with verse 14…
14 You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.
15 He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad.
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.
17 Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?
I have watched fishermen at the beach wade out knee high into the waves in the morning and cast a net on a long rope into the ocean in hopes of catching some fish.
And more often than not, I have watched them cast that net over and over and over again only to pull it in empty every time.
That’s not going to happen to the Chaldeans.
They were going to fill their nets every single time.
The Chaldeans were going to be completely successful on this fishing expedition.
They were going to conquer the land and rule over God’s people – and this isn’t just a word picture.
The Chaldeans were known for putting hooks through the mouths of their prisoners and parading them through town on a line.
They would also gather their prisoners up in nets and mockingly drag them through the streets.
They were violent and ruthless people.
And Habakkuk asks:
“Why, Lord?”
“Why does it seem like you are affirming wickedness and arrogance and self-worship?”
“Why, Lord?”
“Why?”
Habakkuk has asked his questions.
Now what?
Listen to chapter 2, verse 1:
1 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower,
1 and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
I love this picture.
Maybe Habakkuk literally went up on a tower.
It’s possible – but at the very least, he mentally went up on a tower.
In other words, Habakkuk was going to find a way to get away from the problem and focus on God.
He was going to find a way to take a few steps back and pray and focus on the Lord, not on his bad news.
He was going to watch, and he was going to wait.
He was going to wait on the Lord.
How do you wait on the Lord?
Lewis Johnson
We get off by ourselves, commit the thing to the Lord, get away from everybody else, take it away from our friends, and stop our scheming and leave it with the Lord.
We will all have moments when we will ask:
“Why, Lord?”
But when we do, let us live and think like Habakkuk.
Let us ask with faith, not doubt.
Martin-Lloyd Jones
There is nothing more consoling or reassuring when oppressed by the problems of history, and when wondering what is to happen in the world,
Martin-Lloyd Jones
than to remember that the God whom we worship is outside the flux of history.
Martin-Lloyd Jones
He has preceded history; He has created history. His throne is above the world and outside time. He reigns in eternity, the everlasting God.
The greatest event in history happened about 600 years after Habakkuk watched from his tower.
God came to finally deal with sin and violence and wickedness – and once again His plan was strange.
He did not sacrifice His people to the hands of wicked men, no, this time he sacrificed His Son for the lives of spiritually dead sinners like me and like you.
Why, Lord?
Ephesians 2:1,3
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Ephesians 2:4-5
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ
Ephesians 2:5
(by grace you have been saved)
By grace!
By grace!
Has that grace found you?
Is the everlasting God your God?
Habakkuk confidently said:
“O Lord, my God.”
Can you confidently say that today?
Are you the Lord’s?
If so, then tonight you have the softest pillow in the universe.
the Oh, Do you remember your first day of work? Maybe it was your first job in high school. Maybe it was your first job out of college. But can you remember where it was? Who you work for? Can you remember the first day? Did it? Did it go well or was a little off? I came across some interesting stories this week of some first day on the job stories just going to share a couple of them. First one is from Jessica now. Jessica was a teenager. She went and applied for a job at the gift shop at the local hospital. And she was pretty stoked because they called her back and offered her the job. She got the job. So she went for her first day at work, got there, and the manager looked at her and gave her a very, very strange look. And the manager said, Look, I'm really sorry way actually interviewed two people named Jessica, and we meant to hire the other one. Yeah, bless, Right. Manager apologized again and gave her a free candy bar for a trouble. Now, look, I gotta be honest. I'd be upset about the job you know I would want the job, but hey, free candy bars, Free candy bar E Come on, it's no, no problem, no trouble. Just roll on another one was someone who went for their first day on the job at a corporate job. They were super excited that they're in the big corporate office. Everything's going well. And somewhere in the middle of the afternoon, the whole department that they worked in was called in for this special meeting. And at the special meeting, everybody in that department was told that they were going to be laid off about that first day on the job and you get fired. Nothing like that. You ever had a day like that ever had a day where you thought things were going well, Thought things were going good? You're feeling pretty good about things, and all of a sudden something comes crashing in and seems to ruin everything. The prophet back it was having a day just like that. His entire country had been over, taken by sin by violence, by wickedness, by injustice, and he found himself burdened and overwhelmed and confused amidst all the chaos of what was going on in his nation. And so he took his burden and he took it to the Lord. And he said, Gallup's need you to help me with this. And so God responded to him and said, Tobacco, look, I'm going to take care of everything and look, I'm even going to tell you my plan. Here's the plan. The plan was a bit strange. The plan was God was going to bring a nation that was more wicked, Mawr violent, more sinful. Maura unjust. And he was going to bring that nation the Cal Deion's. And they were going to come and take over and conquer a box nation. And they were going to rule them. No, the back probably started thinking when he heard that news. God, if that's the cure, I'll stick with the disease. Just just back off. I don't I don't want anything to do with that. How do you think you'd respond to a strange plan from God? How would you respond if if things weren't happening exactly like you thought that would happen? Or maybe put another way, how do you normally respond toe what feels like and sounds like bad news. What's your normal response? when things were not going the way that you wanted them. Thio. How do you deal with bad news? And it doesn't matter how you respond. Does it really matter? Well, let's see if we can find out this morning. We're going to look at tobacco beginning in Chapter one, Verse 12 and threw a box. Words. We're going to look for the upside in all the bad news. Verse 12 Backache says, Are you not from Everlasting O Lord, my God, my Holy one back it Here's what sounds like very strange, very bad news, and he's immediately overwhelmed. He's immediately confused. He immediately starts asking some questions. Now his questions are different, their questions that he wants answers to. But they're also questions that are kind of mixed with things that he already knows. So he's looking for answers, but he's also looking for some affirmations. He's affirming some things. That's a really good way to respond to bad news. A back It doesn't panic. He doesn't get mad. He doesn't start yelling at God. He doesn't start accusing God of being unfair. What he does is he begins to remember who got ISS as believers, we should respond in the exact same way when bad news comes our way. One of the first things we should do is say, Wait a minute, Who's got no matter what the trouble or the tri ALS or the tribulation or even the tragedy. Maybe let us quickly run to what God has declared about himself in the pages of the Bible, who is God box needing to affirm some things that he knows about God and truthfully, he wants God to affirm these things, too. He's wanting a moment like Moses had. He's wanting to hear God say, Abacha, Listen, I am who I am. You want to hear that this scene is is similar and maybe kind of a silly way toe. Like, if I was talking to my wife and I had some questions tryto deal with the issue we were dealing with, and I might not be able to think straight at the beginning, so I might Sorry. Well, you're my wife, right? You got red hair, right? Way have four kids, right? And then and then I'm good. Okay. Just make sure with the right person, right? Conversation, OK? Everything good? I'm fine. Now here's Here's something we need to deal with, See, because he's he's got some questions, but he's putting them with affirmations. So his questions air, not doubting questions, their questions of confusion. He didn't understand. But they're not doubting questions. It's only 47 days to Christmas. And as the staff will tell you, I'm all about holiday. So I always keep up with these things. And so, you know, 47 days away from Christmas. So here we go. Why don't we take a moment to look at a couple of birth announcements from the Christmas story? Okay, look at the differences between two birth announcements. So the angel Gabriel came to Zacharias and said, I got a message from God for you. Your wife is going to have a baby. And how did he respond to Gabriel Luke, Chapter one, verse 18. How will I know this for certain? Prime and old man. My wife is advanced in years, So he looks at Gabriel says, Well, I don't know. How do I know this story is true? I don't know. Why don't you start with the fact it's an angel from God talking to you? That's a good place to start. You know you're talking to an angel. You're getting a message from heaven. Start there as a reason. You might be able to believe this story. His question was a question of doubt. When that I don't know. You know, my wife thought, I don't know. How do I know this is true? But then you have Mary's birth announcement. So Gabriel comes to Mary also a message from God. You're going to have a baby. And how did Mary respond? Luke, Chapter one, Verse 34. How can this be since I am a virgin? It sounds similar, but it's very different. See, Mary's not doubting that God's going to do it. She's not questioning that he is able to do it. She's just not sure how it's physiologically goingto happen because she knew she was a virgin. She knew she was honoring God with her body. I don't know how this is going to work. She was confused, not doubting, just didn't quite understand back. It's the same. He's not doubting God, but he doesn't understand. He's confused with how this is God's ways. He's looking at things and saying, God, this doesn't seem like you, so I need you to help me think through this. But in helping him think Cruz, he said, God, as I ask you questions I want to affirm some things about. And there's three things he affirms you. One, he says. What Lord you are from everlasting, your ever lasting God. I love how one pastor put it from horizon to horizon. God is God and he's God beyond it. The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel has no beginning and has no end. He is God and there is no other. He is self existent. We are not self existent. In order for us to exist, we need God. And even if you don't believe in God, at the very least you need your parents. So you are not self existent in any way, shape or form. But God is self existent. No beginning, no end. He is ever lasting. He is eternal. And that is really good news when you're dealing with bad news in the back of noses. So in his question, he says, Got your everlasting. The second thing he affirms. He says, Lord, you are my God. This isn't just the preachers. God, this isn't just grandma. Grandpa is God. This isn't just Billy Graham's God. This is his guy back aqueous saying in his question. God, I have a personal relationship with you. I am in a personal relationship with one true creator of the entire universe. I am personally daily involved with the author and perfecter and finisher of my faith. Paul was writing to Timothy. He said, Timothy, I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded and completely confident that he is keeping and hanging on to what I've given him, namely my life back. It was not confused about who? God Waas. Let me ask you a question. What do you believe about God? What do you believe about God? What is God like? How does God think? How does God act? What is it that we see that God has said about himself? Because see, when bad news comes, it's really important that you actually know who God is not just know things about God and backward says this. God, he's my guy and that is a really big deal. When you are dealing with bad news, can you say this is my Godback and says, Lord, your everlasting you are my God and the third thing he says in his opening question is God your holy you are holy Isaiah Revelation Way have this very strategic song this picture Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty who waas and is and is to come. Someone has wisely said we could say other. Other other is the Lord God Almighty who waas and is and is to come because God is other. He is not like anyone or anything. He is all by himself. No one at your birthday party gathers around the cake and sings Holy, holy, holy to you because we're not. But he is. He is Holy, holy holy! He is the Onley one. He's the only one who's other. He's the only one that's holy, and that is really, really good news. When you're dealing with bad news, when you're in a relationship with the Onley one who is other other other Holy, Holy Holy! That means he's the only one who can take care of whatever it is that you're going through back. It says Lord, your everlasting You're my God and you are holy And what does that do to him? Listen to verse 12 again are you not from everlasting O Lord My God, my Holy one, We shall not die. Oh, Lord, You have ordained them as a judgment and you owe rock have established them for reproof. Just his question, just his affirmations of who God is. They had an immediate impact on his heart and his mind and his soul. Listen, that's why we memorize Scripture. That's why we sing hymns and praise songs. We want to be sure that we've got the words inside of us. I had a m r i on Friday, but having problems with my neck for over a year and and and I'm sitting there if you've ever had an m r I it is absolutely the worst experience of your life. Okay, Um, I had one some years ago and the lady came up after she goes certain. Did you sleep through that? And I said, Ma'am, I don't ever get to sit still. So undoubtedly, this was a good time to sit still. I slept through my last memory, didn't sleep through this one this week. It quiets its noisy. It's loud. I have no idea. I mean, if we put a man on the moon. Why does that thing have to be pit us? So much is terrible, but you as a believer. How do you make it through an Emory? How you make it with God's word? You make it by praying and being thankful for what God is doing. You make it by singing and humming hymns in your mind. You make it with the truth of God. I promise you, in the middle of that emery I was not comforting my heart in the craziness of that moment with my favorite food, my favorite team or my favorite TV show. It was the truth of God, the comfort of God, that that's all Holbox do. And he's making sure that in the middle of his chaos in the middle of his confusion, he immediately saying, Wait a minute. God, who are you? And it has an immediate effect on him. It changes his countenance. It changes how he thinks. He says, God, you're my everlasting god. You're my Holy God and you are sending these Cal Deion's this. This is your plan to deal with your people, to rebuke your people, to change your people, to draw your people back to you. This is your plan to deal with your people. But in doing that back aqueous saying. But you know what? We are still your people and you are still our God. That's what he's doing. Strange plan, bad news. He's confused, Doesn't understand This whole thing is sounding crazy, chaotic, but he says, Wait a minute. I just need to rein in my heart. And remember, my God is still on the throne. And even if I die, I want die back. News out. Even if I lose my life, I won't lose my life because, God, you're going to keep your promise to me. Paul's right in the folks in Rome and he said this for if we live, we live to the Lord and if we die, we die to the Lord. Similar what? He said in Philippians Say, if I if I live, I have Christ. If I, If I die, gain more of Christ, he says this. So then whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. We have the Lord's. I'm sure this thought with you before it's e. I say it to myself. I try to make sure I say to myself every night, but it never loses its punch. Geoff Thomas said. This were the Lords I know of. No softer pillow at night. For anyone been there to be the Lord's. Is everything cute? Need everything. Remember what Moses said to the people is they were moving closer to the Promised land. He says, Hey, don't don't be afraid. Be strong. Be courageous. Why? We've got a great army. I'm a good looking guy with great hair. Just follow me. It's good. No, Moses would be strong. Be courageous because the Lord, your God is with you and he will never leave you. And he will never forsake you. That hasn't changed. The Lord will not leave you. The Lord will not forsake you. That's really good news to believe. When you're dealing with bad news, It z the news that we need more than anything and notice again that tobacco refers to the Lord is as rock, you know, with gracious apologies to Dwayne Johnson, the Lord of Israel, the Lord of host. He is the only true rock on Lee God. There's no one like him. He can't be moved. He does not change his plans and his purposes cannot be canceled. You may not like what God does. You may not agree with what God does. You may be confused about what God does, but please understand there is nothing that happens in the universe unless God ordains. And if we don't believe that, then we will always struggle singing a hymn, listening to a sermon, going toe, Bible study, watching the news or anything else in life. But Jesus died to make sure that our hearts would know. This is our God and there is no other, and his plans will never be changed. That's really good news when you're dealing with bad. Yes, Stories told a Christian woman that had a skeptical neighbor, her neighbor wasn't sure about the whole Christianity thing. Specifically the whole idea of assurance of salvation and the skeptical neighbor asked the Christian neighbor one day, she said, Well, what if God, you know, he didn't keep his word. What if he didn't hold up his end of the bargain? And I love what does godly woman said Factor, she This, with his loss would be greater than mine. I would lose my soul. That's true but he would lose his honor different. Let me promise you something God will never lose. Hiss honor. It's impossible. And that's really good news. When we're dealing with bad news, when we feel overwhelmed when we feel confused, we need to remember just like a back up. You know what God is everlasting God is. Holy God is the rock of all ages. And he is my God, he's my God. Ah, back it was convinced of these things. He wasn't confused about that. He understood that. Put that made it all the harder for him to understand what was going on. It made him all the more confused. So he keeps asking some questions. Listen, Verse 13 you who are pure of eyes than to see evil and cannot look it wrong. Why do you idly look a the traders and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? It's a very honest pleading, right. God, you're pure. You're perfect. How can you look at this and not do some God? Why? Why are you not intervening? God, you seem to be dealing with wickedness with wickedness. And that doesn't seem like your way. I think he's very sincere in this. I don't think he's confused about who God is. I think he is sincerely struggling with wickedness, being the answer for wickedness. He doesn't understand. You ever had a moment like that in your life where you're like God, What are you doing? God! God, this is what's happening. Why aren't you doing something to change this? But more often than not, we're not overtly sincere like Tabaka. Really? What we're kind of thinking is God. This is not how I would do things. Listen, praise God. He doesn't do things the way I do things and the way you do things. Praise God. He doesn't do things like we do things. We are selfish. We are sinful. We sometimes have no clue what the right thing is. We have one set of rules for us and our family, and we have a whole another set of rules that we apply to other people. We condemn when we should show compassion. But that's the pattern that we have. But not God. God is perfect in all of his ways. Osama said this. The Lord is mercyful and gracious, slow to anger. Let me ask you a question. How many of you have been fast anger this week? How about I just confessed for all of us, Okay, But not God. He's slow to anger. He's abounding in steadfast love. Someone says this. He will not always chide. Nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. It's mercy after mercy after mercy and grace after grace after grace, this is how God does things. Tobacco knows all of those things were true, but he's in the chiding right now. He's in the middle of this time where things aren't right and he's confused. He doesn't understand why this is going to play out the way it's going to play out, because here's the thing. The reality is this nation was coming in to conquer him. They were going to lose. They were going to win. We're going to be this moment where you know they're veterans. We're going to be able to stand up and say, Hey, we won the battle. It wasn't goingto happen. They were going to be defeated. And he was God, what are you doing? He knew that God's people were going to be arrested, some of them were going to be persecuted. Some we're going to be killed and he's saying, God, why why lord are you doing this? I think he's asking very sincerely. I think he's not asking questions that are any different than the questions that we would ask. But if we were really able to pull away everything in the world, I think back it would probably also say this. Wait a minute, Hang on. Second God, let me rephrase. God, why have you not already dealt with us according to our sins? God, I'm confused about what's going on. But what I should really say is, Lord, why in the world are you still showing mercy and grace? If we considered that in 2020 Not my opinion, not your opinion about God unimportant your opinion about God? My opinion about God unimportant? OK, your opinion about the state of the nation, my opinion by the state of the nation unimportant. Just walk with this question. The Old Testament and the new, the patterns that we see what is God like? What is God like? Even if you've never read the Bible, you got a picture of this. So what is God like in the Bible? Is it like God are unlike God to send something to draw his church to repentance. And if his church refuses to repent, he'll do something else that sounds crazy. Does that sound made up or does that sound very consistent with the one true creator God, that he sends one thing and we say I'm tired of this. I won't things back to normal. Stop taking away my freedom instead of Lord, have mercy on us. Forgive us for wandering from. And is it unlike God in the Old Testament that when his people, not non Christians, Christians refused to repent when they build up in arrogance instead of humility? Is it unlike God to put someone in charge of the nation that they didn't prefer? Is that not in the Bible anywhere? Do we never see that type of activity? Just a casual glance at the Bible and we should all say yet none of this should be surprising to us. But we ask why, and I'll tell you the answer because our God is mercyful and gracious. Our God is mercyful and gracious. He is longing, desire ing that his people would always turn thio him, turn thio him, turn to him and in his kindness. Sometimes he'll do things that we don't like to draw us back to him so that we can be safe so that we can be free so that we can have joy that can never be taken away from us. This is our mercyful God, who is slow to anger. Yeah, abundant and grace. Abundant po box confusion doesn't disappear them. Listen to verse 14. You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. He brings all of them up with a hook. He drags them out with his net. He gathers them in his dragnet. So he rejoices and his glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet for by them he lives in luxury and his food is rich. Is he then to keep on empty in his net and mercylessly killing nations forever? Honest question. Right back. It's like Help me God, you're sending a nation of people who hate you and worship themselves. And that's your plan. That's how you're dealing with this. Have you ever been in the beach? And you've watched a guy walk out like me deep in the water and he has won his big nets and he throws it out there. And then I have watched these guys throw it out there like 30 times and pull it back and they get nothing. You know? Just nothing. Bless their hearts, Cal. Deion's That wasn't going to happen. They were going to catch every time they through the net. This is going to be a successful fishing expedition for them. They were going to conquer. They were violent, ruthless people. And they were going to win and back excess. Why? Why, Lord, why does it seem like evil and wickedness are getting the upper hand? Why does it seem like the people who are arrogant and they worship themselves and they deny you? Why does it seem like they are the ones being a affirmed? Why, Lord? Why honest questions? The same questions. We would so have a Cox asked his questions. And so what happens next? Chapter two, verse one. I will take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower and look to see what he will say to me and what I will answer concerning my complaint. I love this picture. So tobacco, very honestly. Ask some hard questions to the Lord. And he's like, Alright, alright, I'm leaving him with you now. I'm going up on my tower. I'm going to watch now. I don't know if he physically went up on tower, he could have, but he at least mentally went up on a tower. In other words, what he did was he said You know what? This is what's going on. I need to go somewhere where I could get up above all this. I need to go somewhere. Now that I've asked my questions, I need to go somewhere. I need to be still and I need toe watch. And I need to wait. How do you wait on the Lord? How do you watch and wait on the Lord? It's not always easy confessed, but I think if we're to make it super super practical, somehow we kind of gotta get in attack. You know, I'm a few weeks ago, the illustration we used was Don't look at your phone for the 1st 15 minutes of the day. That's a That's a wayto watch and wait on the Lord. You know, Just don't run to it. I think another way toe watch and wait on The Lord is not toe. Always ask your pastor for advice not to always ask your Christian friends for advice. Do that. It's good. I mean, I don't think I'm a moron. I usually give pretty good advice, but But, you know, sometimes we just need to be alone with the Lord. That's part of watching and waiting. We're alone with God's word. We're alone with him, and then the hardest part is whatever plan you drew up, just don't take it to the town. Just don't just go and watch and wait. It could take weeks. It could take months. It could take years. Do you think about the passage that we refer to often and Jeremiah I know the plans I have for you. People graduate from high school. I know the plans I have for you. You know, when that was fulfilled for them decades later. That's what I'm going to say. Next year Old graduation Sunday. Hey, God knows the plans. You have plans to prosper. You plans for your good and you may not see it into your 80. That's encouraging, right? Let me ask you a question. How many of us as believers have been in relationships and situations that we didn't get answers fast? That it took a couple of decades, Took a few weeks. In two years, we have to watch, and we have to wait, and we have to trust back. It's like All right, God, here's my questions. Now I'm going upon tower. I'm going to I'm going to watch. I'm going to wait. Please, Please help! I think all of us have moments where we turn to the Lord. We say, Why? Why God? But it would be really good for us. Toe own some of what we see in her back. That we would take it and run with it. Di Martin, a giant said this. There is nothing more consoling or reassuring when oppressed by the problems of history. And when wondering what is toe happen in the world. Then to remember that the God whom we worship is outside the flux of history. He has proceeded history. He has created history. His throne is above the world. Outside time he reigns in eternity. He is the ever lasting God that does help tremendously when we remember that our God is outside of history and over history and there is never a millisecond of eternity Time present, past, future where he is not thoroughly and completely on his throne. That'll never change. You know this talk of history, the the greatest event in history happened about 600 years after a back it went up in his tower. God decided he was going to deal with sin and violence and wickedness and injustice once and for all. And his plan was again a little strange. This time, he was not going to send a wicked nation to conquer his people. Now, this time, he was going to send his son to rescue dead centers like me on like you. And when you consider that it is a fair question why, Lord? Why Which you sent Jesus from heaven to sacrifice for me so that I could be forgot. Why would you do that? Paul answers that question for us. Ephesians two and you were dead in your trespasses and sins and were by nature, Children of Wrath even is the rest. But God being rich and mercy because of his great love with which he loved us. Even when we were dead in our transgressions, even when we were exhausted with 2020. Even then God made us alive together of Christ. And then And in this translation, one of the greatest phrases ever to be put in parentheses by grace you have been saved by grace. You have been saved by grace, mercy and everlasting love. You have been saved. Do you know that, Grace? I mean, is that grace part of who you are? Harbach said. Lord, you are my God. He said, it's confident. Can you say it confidently today? Can you confidently say that God is your God? Are you the Lord's? If so than different? Please know this. Tonight you have the softest pillow in the universe.
