The Price of Isolation: You Can't Do It Better Alone

Written by Ed Allen
Saturday, 03 November 2001 19:00

The Myths That Bankrupt Your Joy

In the face of disaster: The Path of Faith Habakkuk

Over the last couple of weeks we have felt vulnerable, shaken, confused, angry and undone. I think Tom Hanks spoke for all of us the other night when he said, "How should we respond?" I am convinced that the only appropriate response is what the Bible calls faith.

i. The path of faith is a path of full and honest engagement with God.

? Read 1:1-4 ? Love the Bible. Honest, raw account. Not a manual for fanatics, but a book for pilgrim's struggling to understand God and His ways. ? Habakkuk is angry and confused ? "Why does lawlessness go unpunished?" ? "Are you powerless, God?" ? Sees the weakening and decline of his culture. ? Do something God! ? The path of faith sometimes includes such struggle. Not necessarily a good thing to struggle with God, but may be inevitable. ? Even though he struggled - he struggled with God. Did not stand at a distance and evaluate God. Engaged him with his confusion and anger. ? The path of faith is a path of full and honest engagement with God.

ii. The path of faith is the path or openness and receptivity to the voice of God.

? God responds to Habakkuk. "I am going to move, but in a surprising way." The Babylonians are coming. They will take over the world. ? And by the way, I know what kind of people they are. ? Read 1:5-7, 11 ? HISTORY (Assyria, Babylon, time of writing) ? Habakkuk encounters God. Don't know the mechanism. Maybe a voice, maybe an impression, maybe a dream, maybe the words of another prophet. But Habakkuk recognizes the voice and receives it as God. Sometimes we turn it off, or reject it out right. Sometimes we reduce it to sentimentality. (Say things like "God bless America.") Faith recognizes and receives God's voice as the truth. For Habakkuk this is no easy thing. He does not like what God says. ? The path of faith is the path of openness and receptivity to the voice of God.

iii. The path of faith is the path of honest dependence on God.

? Read 12 - 13 ? Comes dangerously close to an accusation. ? "God, excuse me, but it looks to me like you have endorsed evil." ? Read 14 ? "This is your plan? At the very least you're going to allow injustice. In fact, you have endorsed it, it seems to me. Is it from your hand? ? The path of faith takes Habakkuk dangerously close to doubt. He is near to doubting God's goodness. ? But Habakkuk's doubts do not drive him away. He has no where else to go. ? Peter's words: "Where else would we go, Lord, for you have the words of eternal life." ? Read 2:1 ? The path of faith is the path of honest dependence on God.

iv. The path of faith is the path of ? faith.

? Read 2:2-5 ? The path of wickedness is the path of insatiable desire. It is the path of unabated greed. It is the path of ultimate dissatisfaction. ? Wickedness will be its own undoing. (Those who have been overcome by wickedness will rise up and taunt it.) ? The path of faith is the path of faith. Not the path of good deeds Not the path of sincerity. September 11th put an end to the myth that it does not matter what you believe. FAITH has substance. It matters very much what you believe. The first followers of Jesus believed that the substance of faith revealed itself in the person of Jesus. Romans 1:17 10:9-10 Galatians 3:11 Like to put an end to another myth. Jesus is not to be admired. He is to be worshipped or rejected as a lunatic or a liar. ? Faith has substance. The God of Habakkuk: Is alive ? 2:18-20 Is outside of time and space and is completely unique ? 1:12 Is supreme over all nations and peoples ? 1:6 Over the whole universe ? 3:2-16 This God surprises us Awes and overwhelms us. He interrupts history by His mighty acts and He interrupts our lives with His mighty voice.

v. The path of faith is the path of humble petition. ? Read 3:1-2 ? In wrath (in what you're going to do to the nations) remember mercy.

vi. The path of faith is the path of robust praise.

? Read 3:4,6,9-10,13 ? This is a song of praise. ? Don't read this and make the mistake of thinking OT God was angry God and NT God was loving and a kind old grandfather. Remember what Habakkuk has just been through with God and how God has answered him. Remember what God is about to do. Habakkuk has just had an experience with the fierceness of God and that's what he sings about.

vii. The path of faith is the path of determined dependence

? Read 3:16 -19 ? How should we respond in the face of disaster? Cling to the path of faith. It may include some uncomfortable twists and turns, but stay with it. Repent, believe and be baptized.