1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 300 600 Dave continues the series on Habakkuk, picking up from Florence’s message on lament. His main theme is that God does hear our prayers, but his answer may not be the one we expect. He begins with the old “Magic Eye” puzzle books, which required people to look beyond the obvious image to see what was really there. Dave uses this as a picture of Habakkuk’s journey: learning to see beyond immediate circumstances and recognise the bigger thing God is doing. Habakkuk lived at a time when Judah was full of violence, corruption and injustice. He cried out, “How long?”, asking God why he seemed silent. God does answer, but the answer is shocking. He tells Habakkuk that he is raising up the Babylonians to bring judgement on Judah. This leaves Habakkuk with an even bigger problem. The Babylonians are ruthless, violent and arrogant. How can a holy God use a nation even more wicked than Judah? Dave stresses that God is not endorsing Babylon’s evil. Instead, he is allowing them to prosper temporarily as part of a larger plan to judge and ultimately restore his people. God’s purposes are often much bigger than we can see. From this, Dave describes three ways God may answer prayer. Sometimes the answer is “not yet.” God may intend to answer, but according to his timing rather than ours. Dave illustrates this with his own experience of waiting six months for a visa to join Cherie in America, and with Abraham and Sarah waiting for Isaac. God’s timing may feel frustrating, but it is not random. Sometimes the answer is “not exactly.” God may answer differently from the way we imagined. Dave shares how he and Cherie lost out on a house they thought was perfect, only for the neighbouring house — already improved and still affordable — to become available later. Paul’s thorn in the flesh provides another example: God did not remove it, but instead gave Paul sufficient grace and a new perspective. Sometimes the answer is simply “not at all.” This is often the hardest answer to accept. Dave acknowledges that there are circumstances where suffering seems senseless and no explanation feels adequate. Yet Christians worship a God who knows what suffering is like. Jesus himself prayed in Gethsemane for the cup of suffering to be taken away, but the Father’s answer was no. Because Jesus entered suffering himself, believers are never alone in theirs. Dave then returns to Romans 8:28, clarifying that it does not mean everything that happens is good or that every tragedy has an obvious explanation. Rather, it means that God is able to work within broken circumstances for the good of those who love him, bringing redemption and restoration. When God’s answers make no sense, Habakkuk shows what faith can look like. He does not walk away from God. He keeps the conversation open, continues asking questions and remains humble. Dave closes with two things believers can trust even when they do not understand what God is doing: God’s character is good. God’s character is unchanging. We may not understand everything now, but we can trust the God who is compassionate, faithful and the same yesterday, today and forever. 0:00 A New Way of Looking at the World 1:48 Habakkuk and the Violence in Judah 4:22 “How Long?” — Habakkuk’s Lament 6:39 God Finally Answers 9:02 God Is Not a Vending Machine 10:56 God Raises Up the Babylonians 14:19 When God Says “Not Yet” 18:18 When God Says “Not Exactly” 21:26 When God Says “Not at All” 25:54 Trusting God When His Answer Makes No Sense Sermons from Aberdeen Christian Fellowship http://www.aberdeencf.com <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/43581769/height/300/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="300" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/43581769