No matter how dark the night is or how hard the storm blows, we have not been abandoned to walk through the difficult seasons alone. God is working deep in our souls to bring us to the heights of hope that can only come from the depth of our faith. So believe deeply, remember constantly, and rejoice greatly. – Pastor Dave
Open: Describe a time when you wanted to quit, but faith in Christ kept you going:
Read: Habakkuk 3:1-19; Exodus 19-20; Joshua 10; Psalm 103; Philippians 4:4-7
Discuss:
1. Habakkuk chapter two ends with a call to be silent. Why is it so difficult to be silent in moments of turmoil and struggle? Describe “the dip” that we can face in our spiritual journey? How do most people respond to “the dips” in life?
2. 3:1 describes this section as a prayer. What specific requests does Habakkuk make in his prayer? What other elements of prayer do you find in this passage (other than making specific requests to God)? What are some things we can learn from Habakkuk’s prayer that might help us to be more effective in our own prayer life? In what sense did Habakkuk “fear” the work of the LORD (v. 2)?
3. Habakkuk recounts God’s past faithfulness toward Israel. When you find yourself in times of despair do you tend to reflect on other similar times you have suffered, or do you remember ways God has proved His faithfulness to you in the past? How has your spiritual health been directly affected by reviewing the benefits you have in salvation?
4. Describe a time you had to accept that God was doing something you didn’t like: What brought you to the point of acceptance? How does God’s concern for the salvation of His people fit within His stated purpose of sending the Chaldeans as instruments of judgment against Judah (ch.1:5-11)?
5. How does Habakkuk’s attitude in verses 16-19 of chapter 3 compare to what we found in chapter 1? How is it that Habakkuk can rejoice when he sees such a dismal future on the horizon? What can we learn from these verses when facing difficult times in our lives today?
Pray: In the unknown, unclear circumstances of life, pray that you would seek God as your shelter and strength. Take some time to review God’s past faithfulness in your life.
Memorize/Meditate: I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. Habakkuk 3:18-19
