Trusting God Amidst Uncertainty: Habakkuk's Journey

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting God When His Ways Are Unsettling

When life feels chaotic and God’s answers seem confusing or even alarming, we are reminded that God is always at work—even when His methods are not what we expect or desire. Habakkuk cried out to God about the injustice and violence in his nation, only to hear that God would use the Babylonians, a ruthless and feared people, as part of His plan. This was not the answer Habakkuk wanted, but it was a clear sign that God was not absent or uncaring. Even when we cannot see or understand what God is doing, we are called to trust that He is moving in ways that are higher and greater than our own. [02:27]

Habakkuk 1:1-11 (ESV)
The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.
“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour. They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!”

Reflection: When have you received an answer from God that unsettled you or didn’t make sense? How did you respond, and what might it look like to trust Him in the midst of confusion today?

Day 2: The Posture of Faithful Waiting

Faith is not just about believing in God’s promises, but about adopting a posture of steady, loyal trust even when the waiting is long and the outcome is unclear. Habakkuk models this by choosing to stand at his watch and wait for God’s answer, refusing to walk away even when he doesn’t understand. True biblical waiting is not passive; it is trust in motion—remaining ready to move when God says move, but not forcing our own way ahead of Him. This kind of faithfulness is what God calls “the righteous will live by his faithfulness,” a trust that endures through uncertainty and delay. [16:14]

Habakkuk 2:1-4 (ESV)
I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
And the Lord answered me:
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are struggling to wait on God? How can you practice “trust in motion” this week as you wait for His answer?

Day 3: God’s Power to Do Immeasurably More

God is not limited by our expectations or imagination; He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or think, for His glory. Throughout Scripture, God has written “only God” stories—using unlikely people and surprising circumstances to accomplish His will. From raising up foreign kings to bringing the Savior from an obscure town, God’s ways continually surpass human understanding. We are invited to believe that He still desires to do more than we can imagine in our lives, our church, and our community, if we will trust Him and pray boldly. [19:25]

Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Reflection: What is one “only God” thing you are praying for in your life, church, or community? Are you willing to ask God for more than you can imagine, and trust Him with the outcome?

Day 4: Choosing Joy and Contentment in Every Circumstance

Even when everything seems lost—when resources fail, relationships break, or dreams collapse—God invites us to find our joy and contentment in Him alone. Habakkuk, after wrestling with God and facing the prospect of total loss, declares that he will rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God his Savior. The apostle Paul echoes this in Philippians, having learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. True joy is not rooted in circumstances, but in the unchanging character and presence of God, who is our strength. [31:36]

Philippians 4:12-13 (ESV)
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Reflection: Where are you tempted to let your circumstances determine your joy? What would it look like to choose joy in God today, regardless of what you have or lack?

Day 5: Surrendering Control and Praying Boldly

The journey of faith calls us to surrender every area of our lives to God, trusting Him to do what only He can do. This surrender is not just a one-time act, but a daily posture—laying our plans, our calendars, our relationships, and our deepest desires before Him in prayer. As we pray, obey, and prepare for what God might do, we are invited to invite others into our prayers, to watch for God’s answers, and to give Him the glory for every “only God” story He writes. [32:56]

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Reflection: What is one area of your life you need to surrender to God’s control today? Who can you invite to pray with you for an “only God” breakthrough in that area?

Sermon Summary

The story of Habakkuk is a story for anyone who has ever looked at the world and wondered, “God, where are you? Are you paying attention?” Habakkuk, a prophet in a time of deep injustice and violence, cries out to God, desperate for answers. God’s response is not what Habakkuk expects or wants—He tells Habakkuk that He is raising up Babylon, a ruthless nation, as part of His plan. This answer is unsettling, even shocking, and it reminds us that God’s ways are often beyond our understanding. Yet, in the midst of confusion and fear, God calls Habakkuk—and us—to a posture of steady, loyal trust.

This trust is not passive. It is a faith that waits, watches, and refuses to give up, even when God’s answers are delayed or difficult to accept. Habakkuk’s journey moves from complaint, to waiting, and finally to worship. He learns that faith is not about seeing every step ahead, but about confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see. God’s vision, though it may linger, is sure. He is always at work, even when we cannot perceive it, and He calls us to live by faithfulness—a steady, loyal trust that endures through uncertainty.

Throughout Scripture, God has written “only God” stories—moments so surprising and transformative that no one could have predicted them. From using foreign kings to fulfill His purposes, to sending Jesus from an obscure town to change the world, God delights in doing the unimaginable. He continues to write these stories in our lives today, sometimes in ways that unsettle us, sometimes in ways that bring joy and healing, and sometimes in ways that require us to wait and trust.

The challenge is to surrender control, to lay our calendars, our dreams, and our burdens before God, and to pray for what only He can do. We are called to keep praying, keep obeying, and keep preparing—living as if God will do what He has promised, even before we see it. Like Habakkuk, we may not get all the answers we want, but we can find joy in God Himself, trusting that He is big enough to hold us when nothing else makes sense. Our response is to pray, to trust, and to give God the glory for the “only God” stories He is writing in our lives, our church, and our community.

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Key Takeaways

1. God’s Answers May Shock Us, But He Is Always Working: Sometimes, God’s response to our prayers is not what we expect or desire. Like Habakkuk, we may be unsettled or even disturbed by the way God chooses to act. Yet, even when His ways are mysterious, He is never absent or uncaring—He is always at work, orchestrating His purposes on a scale far beyond our understanding. [10:13]
2. Faith Is Steady, Loyal Trust—Not Just Mental Agreement: The faith God calls us to is more than intellectual assent; it is a posture of unwavering trust, even when circumstances make no sense. This faith waits, watches, and refuses to walk away, holding on to God’s promises with a loyalty that endures through confusion and delay. [16:14]
3. Waiting on God Is Trust in Motion, Not Passive Resignation: Biblical waiting is not about sitting idly by, but about actively trusting God’s timing and readiness to move when He calls. It means not forcing our own solutions, but preparing our hearts and lives for what God will do, living as if His promises are already on the way. [23:00]
4. Joy Is Found in God, Not in Circumstances: Habakkuk’s declaration to rejoice in God even when everything else is lost is a radical act of faith. True joy is not rooted in the presence or absence of blessings, but in the unchanging character of God Himself. When we have God, we have a source of joy that cannot be taken away, no matter what we face. [30:18]
5. Prayer and Surrender Open the Door to “Only God” Stories: The stories that only God can write begin with prayerful surrender—laying our deepest needs, dreams, and impossibilities before Him. As we pray, obey, and prepare, we invite God to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, and we give Him the glory as He answers in His way and His time. [26:35]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:50] - God’s Shocking Answer to Habakkuk
[03:41] - Unbelievable Stories and God’s Surprising Ways
[04:46] - Only God Stories: Faith in the Unimaginable
[08:37] - Parallels Between Habakkuk’s World and Ours
[10:13] - God Uses Babylon: When Answers Are Unsettling
[11:41] - Wrestling with God’s Silence and Faithfulness
[12:50] - Complaint, Waiting, and Worship: Habakkuk’s Journey
[14:52] - The Posture of Faith: Waiting and Trusting
[16:14] - The Righteous Live by Steady, Loyal Trust
[19:25] - Only God Stories Throughout Scripture
[22:35] - Faith Defined: Confidence in What We Do Not See
[23:00] - Waiting as Trust in Motion
[24:47] - Surrendering Control and Trusting God
[26:35] - Praying, Obeying, and Preparing for God’s Work
[29:00] - Choosing Joy in the Midst of Loss
[30:18] - Joy in God Alone
[31:36] - Contentment in Every Situation
[32:15] - Surrendering Everything to God
[32:56] - Praying Boldly for Only God Stories
[34:18] - Bringing Our Prayers and Dreams to God
[37:47] - Giving God the Glory and Praying Together
[38:52] - Invitation to Salvation and Response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Habakkuk 1:1–11; 2:1–4; 3:17–19 (ESV) —
Habakkuk 1:1–11
The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?
3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
4 So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.
5 “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.
6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own.
7 They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
9 They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand.
10 At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it.
11 Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!”

Habakkuk 2:1–4 — I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
2 And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 3:17–19 — Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.

Observation Questions

What is Habakkuk’s main complaint to God at the beginning of the book? ([01:50])
How does God respond to Habakkuk’s cry for help, and why is this answer so unsettling to Habakkuk? ([10:13])
In Habakkuk 2:4, what does God say about the righteous person, and how is this different from the attitude of the Babylonians? ([16:14])
When everything is lost (no crops, no livestock), what is Habakkuk’s response in chapter 3? ([29:00])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God sometimes answers our prayers in ways that are confusing or even disturbing to us, like He did with Habakkuk? ([10:13])
The sermon describes faith as “steady, loyal trust” rather than just mental agreement. What does this kind of faith look like in real life? ([16:14])
The idea of “waiting on God” is described as “trust in motion.” How is this different from just sitting back and doing nothing? ([23:00])
Habakkuk chooses to rejoice in God even when his circumstances are bleak. What does this teach us about the source of true joy? ([30:18])

Application Questions

Think about a time when you prayed for something and God’s answer was not what you expected or wanted. How did you respond? Did it shake your trust in God, or did it lead you to deeper faith? ([10:13])
The sermon challenges us to have “steady, loyal trust” in God even when life doesn’t make sense. What is one area of your life right now where you find it hard to trust God? What would it look like to trust Him with that? ([16:14])
“Waiting on God is trust in motion, not passive resignation.” Is there something you are waiting on God for right now? What would it look like to actively trust Him in this season, rather than just waiting around? ([23:00])
Habakkuk found joy in God, not in his circumstances. Is there something in your life that you have been looking to for joy or security instead of God? How can you shift your focus to find joy in God Himself? ([30:18])
The sermon talks about “only God” stories—things that only God could do. What is one “only God” prayer or dream you have for your life, your family, or your community? Are you willing to surrender it to God and trust Him with the outcome? ([26:35])
The pastor encouraged everyone to keep praying, keep obeying, and keep preparing as if God will do what He has promised. Which of these three is hardest for you, and why? What is one step you can take this week to grow in that area? ([26:35])
Is there a specific burden, dream, or area of your life that you need to surrender to God’s control? What would it look like to lay it before Him in prayer and trust Him with it? ([24:47])

Sermon Clips

Each of those moments blindsided people. Each of those moments caught people off guard. If they told you in advance, you never would have believed it. You probably would have actually inched away from the weird person, right? Well, that's exactly what we see going on in that passage of Scripture we just read, except that Habakkuk maybe wanted to inch himself away from God, looking at God like he's the crazy person here. Habakkuk is a confused prophet. He's an angry prophet. He's a questioning prophet, and he comes to God, and he's like, God, where are you? Don't you see everything that's going on? And God says what? In chapter 1, verse 5, he says, Habakkuk, look. Watch and be amazed at what I'm about to do. [00:04:44] (40 seconds) #UnexpectedFaith

How many times have we looked at our world and we have maybe thought the same thing? God, why don't you care about this? God, where were we? How many times during September 11th did we hear, God, where were you when this happened? Can you think back to that? We heard it over and over again. I mean, there was a huge outpouring in this nation when people went to church. I think that weekend after September 11th, that was probably some of the highest church attendance ever that weekend where people just gathered around to pray and to see God for their nation. But then on the heels of that, God, where were you? Why did this happen? Are you absent? [00:11:14] (33 seconds) #QuestioningInCrisis

We need to understand that God is never uncaring or not working. And Habakkuk has this little back and forth with God. Just read the whole chapter sometime, chapter one. There's this little back and forth with God, but then Habakkuk is like, you know what? Chapter two, verse one, he says, I'm just going to wait for God to answer. I've said my piece. God said his piece. I got my last word in. We're just going to wait and see what God's going to do. [00:12:42] (25 seconds) #FaithfulWaiting

He was the son of God, the word made flesh, the one who bore our sins, who bore our shame, who bore the cross on the hill where he was, he was hung there. He was betrayed. He was, he was beaten. He was mocked. He was spit upon. He was left for dead on that cross, taken down, put in a tomb only to what? Come out three days later. Changed the course of human history. Changed. If you are a believer, you're alive. If you're not, he wants to change your life. What is that? That is an only God story. [00:19:47] (28 seconds) #TrustingGodsTiming

If we have to see everything with our own eyes, that's not faith. And I'm the kind of person that likes to see things. I want to know this step, that step, that step. That's not faith. Faith is confidence in what we hope for and trust in what we do not see. [00:22:39] (18 seconds) #LivingByFaith

Can I tell you what true biblical waiting really is? What true biblical God -given waiting really is, you can define it like this. It is trust in motion. Think of it like that. It's trust in motion. It's saying, God, I'm not going to get ahead of you. I'm also not going to lag behind when you call me into something. I'm going to trust that you have something better in store. And when you say move, I'm going to move. And until then, I'm not going to try to force it on my own. That's what trust in motion is. [00:23:41] (32 seconds) #SurrenderingControl

What is one thing in your life that you're like, you know what, I can never give up control of this to God? It can be so many things. It can be family, it can be friends, it can be career, it can be finances. It can be just your future. What is that one thing that maybe you can look at God and say, God, you know what? I've tried it my way, I'm ready for your way. I say, God, I give you control. What is that one thing? How can the posture of your heart show your faith that God can do immeasurably more in that thing? [00:25:03] (30 seconds) #RadicalJoyInGod

What I mean by keep preparing is this while you're praying and while you're obeying keep living as if God is going to do what he says he can do maybe you got somebody you're praying for and there's a soul that needs to be saved go ahead and start thanking God now for that maybe it's somebody you're waiting to come home keep setting a place at the table maybe it's just an encouragement you need in your heart go ahead and thank God now that he's going to bring that to you you don't know it you don't see it you don't know how it's going to happen thank God now that he's going to bring it to your heart keep preparing for what only God can do. [00:27:23] (46 seconds) #TrustWhenNothingMakesSense

He started with a broken heart for his city. God, how long? God, where are you? God, why all the injustice? By the time we get to chapter three, verse 17, here's what Habakkuk says. And I know this doesn't start off great, but Habakkuk says this. He says, though the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen, and no cattle in the stalls. What is he picturing? Total economic collapse of his people. No food, no figs, no lives, no grain, no sheep, no cattle. That is the equivalent of each one of us losing every stream of income that we have. Losing it all. It's just gone. He says, though there's none of this stuff. Then we get to verse 18. Here, verse 18. He says this, yet I will be mad at the Lord. Shake my fist. No, he says, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior. What a crazy statement. But what a radical statement of trust and faith and steady loyalness in God. [00:29:00] (78 seconds) #SurrenderWithoutAnswers

When Habakkuk, this short little book ends, it doesn't end with everything fixed. Things are about to get much worse for these people, but it ends with everything surrendered to God. And that's where we find ourselves this morning. Are we willing to surrender to God, though we don't know what he has in store for our lives, for our church, for our community? [00:32:24] (23 seconds)

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