What To Do When Things Get Tough” - srp.alldigital.net

“What To Do When Things Get
Tough”

1

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (KJV)

17 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:

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

2

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (KJV)

18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will
joy in the God of my salvation.

19 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. To the chief singer
on my stringed instruments.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

3

Habakkuk 1:1-4 (NLT)

1 This is the message that the prophet
Habakkuk received in a vision.

2 How long, O Lord, must I call for
help? But you do not listen! “Violence
is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not
come to save.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

4

Habakkuk 1:1-4 (NLT)

3 Must I forever see these evil deeds?
Why must I watch all this misery?
Wherever I look, I see destruction and
violence. I am surrounded by people
who love to argue and fight.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

5

Habakkuk 1:1-4 (NLT)

4 The law has become paralyzed, and
there is no justice in the courts. The
wicked far outnumber the righteous,
so that justice has become perverted.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

6

Three Eternal Principles

1. Our circumstances can cause
us to question God’s presence
in our lives.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

7

Habakkuk's Questions

Habakkuk 1:1-4 (NLT)

1 This is the message that the prophet
Habakkuk received in a vision.
2 How long, O Lord, must I call for
help? But you do not listen! “Violence
is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not
come to save.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

8

Habakkuk's Questions

Habakkuk 1:1-4 (NLT)

3 Must I forever see these evil deeds?
Why must I watch all this misery?
Wherever I look, I see destruction and
violence. I am surrounded by people
who love to argue and fight.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

9

Habakkuk's Questions

Habakkuk 1:1-4 (NLT)

4 The law has become paralyzed, and
there is no justice in the courts. The
wicked far outnumber the righteous,
so that justice has become perverted.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

10

God’s Answer

Habakkuk 1:5-11 (NLT)

5 The Lord replied,
“Look around at the nations; look and
be amazed! For I am doing
something in your own day,
something you wouldn’t believe even
if someone told you about it.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

11

God’s Answer

Habakkuk 1:5-11 (NLT)

6 I am raising up the Babylonians, a
cruel and violent people. They will
march across the world and conquer
other lands.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

12

God’s Answer
Habakkuk 1:5-11 (NLT)

7 They are notorious for their cruelty
and do whatever they like.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

13

God’s Answer
Habakkuk 1:5-11 (NLT)

8 Their horses are swifter than
cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at
dusk. Their charioteers charge from
far away. Like eagles, they swoop
down to devour their prey.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

14

God’s Answer
Habakkuk 1:5-11 (NLT)

9 “On they come, all bent on violence.
Their hordes advance like a desert
wind, weeping captives ahead of them
like sand.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

15

God’s Answer
Habakkuk 1:5-11 (NLT)

10 They scoff at kings and princes and
scorn all their fortresses. They simply
pile ramps of earth against their walls
and capture them!

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

16

God’s Answer
Habakkuk 1:5-11 (NLT)

11 They sweep past like the wind and
are gone. But they are deeply guilty,
for their own strength is their god.”

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

17

Habakkuk's Reply
Habakkuk 1:13-17 (NLT)

13 But you are pure and cannot stand
the sight of evil. Will you wink at their
treachery? Should you be silent while
the wicked swallow up people more
righteous than they?

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

18

Habakkuk's Reply

Habakkuk 1:13-17 (NLT)

14 Are we only fish to be caught and
killed? Are we only sea creatures that
have no leader?
15 Must we be strung up on their
hooks and caught in their nets while
they rejoice and celebrate?

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

19

Habakkuk's Reply

Habakkuk 1:13-17 (NLT)

16 Then they will worship their nets
and burn incense in front of them.
“These nets are the gods who have
made us rich!” they will claim.
17 Will you let them get away with this
forever? Will they succeed forever in
their heartless conquests?

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

20

Habakkuk's Dilemma

What do you do when your intellect
(mind) is faced with a moral problem in
the Divine Government of the universe,
when there is no solution?

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

21

For Example

- Montgomery County closing
agricultural growth down to
churches.

- Winchester Homes wanting to
reduce the price of our property.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

22

Habakkuk's and our questions
are at times like these.

– God, are you even there?
– God, do you really care?
– Is God fair? (injustice)
– Will He ultimately come through?
– When it all boils down, can I really

trust God?

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

23

Habakkuk's and our questions
are at times like these.

– Habakkuk lost hope in God’s
goodness and justice! Where do
you go from here when this
happens?

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

24

Three Eternal Principles

2. We must trust God until we
can see things from His
perspective. That may take a
while.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

25

Habakkuk 2:1-3 (NLT)

1 I will climb up to my watchtower and
stand at my guardpost. There I will
wait to see what the Lord says and
how he will answer my complaint.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

26

Habakkuk 2:1 (AMP)

[OH, I know, I have been rash to talk
out plainly this way to God!] I will [in
my thinking] stand upon my post of
observation and station myself on the
tower or fortress, and will watch to see
what He will say within me and what
answer I will make [as His
mouthpiece] to the perplexities of my
complaint against Him.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

27

Habakkuk 2:1-3 (NLT)

2 Then the Lord said to me,
“Write my answer plainly on tablets,
so that a runner can carry the correct
message to others.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

28

Habakkuk 2:1-3 (NLT)

3 This vision is for a future time. It
describes the end, and it will be
fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming,
wait patiently, for it will surely take
place. It will not be delayed.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

29

Habakkuk 2:6-11 (NLT)

6 “But soon their captives will taunt
them. They will mock them, saying,
‘What sorrow awaits you thieves!
Now you will get what you deserve!
You’ve become rich by extortion, but
how much longer can this go on?’

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

30

Habakkuk 2:6-11 (NLT)

7 Suddenly, your debtors will take
action. They will turn on you and take
all you have, while you stand
trembling and helpless.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

31

Habakkuk 2:6-11 (NLT)

8 Because you have plundered many
nations; now all the survivors will
plunder you. You committed murder
throughout the countryside and filled
the towns with violence.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

32

Habakkuk 2:6-11 (NLT)

9 “What sorrow awaits you who build
big houses with money gained
dishonestly! You believe your wealth
will buy security, putting your family’s
nest beyond the reach of danger.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

33

Habakkuk 2:6-11 (NLT)

10 But by the murders you committed,
you have shamed your name and
forfeited your lives.
11 The very stones in the walls cry out
against you, and the beams in the
ceilings echo the complaint.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

34

Habakkuk 2:4 (NLT)

“Look at the proud! They trust in
themselves, and their lives are
crooked; but the righteous will live by
their faith.”

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

35

- This is how to cope with
things we don’t want to hear.

- This is how to embrace a
situation that is tough.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

36

Three Eternal Principles

3. When we can’t escape our
circumstances, we must trust
God’s ultimate plan.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

37

Habakkuk 3:16-19 (NLT)

16 I trembled inside when I heard all
this; my lips quivered with fear. My
legs gave way beneath me, and I
shook in terror. I will wait quietly for
the coming day when disaster will
strike the people who invade us.

– The essential view of God.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

38

Habakkuk 3:16-19 (NLT)

17 Even though the fig trees have no
blossoms, and there are no grapes
on the vine; even though the olive
crop fails, and the fields lie empty and
barren; even though the flocks die in
the fields, and the cattle barns are
empty,

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

39

Habakkuk 3:16-19 (NLT)

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will
be joyful in the God of my salvation.

19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength!
He will make me as surefooted as a
deer and bring me safely over the
mountains

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

40

Psalms 34:1-4 (KJV)

1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his
praise shall continually be in my
mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the
LORD: the humble shall hear thereof,
and be glad.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

41

Psalms 34:1-4 (KJV)

3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let
us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me,
and delivered me from all my fears.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

42

Hebrews 13:15 (AMP)

Through Him, therefore, let us
constantly and at all times offer up to
God a sacrifice of praise, which is the
fruit of lips that thankfully
acknowledge and confess and glorify
His name.

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

43

1 Peter 2:9 (KJV)

But ye are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath
called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light:

“What To Do When Things Get Tough”

44