2012-01-20: Dealing With Problems

Sermon Audio: Dealing With Problems
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Habakkuk 1:12-17
Duration: 29:07
Size: 13.3 MB

Dealing With Problems
Habakkuk 1:12-17

Habakkuk is a profound book, one that delves deeply into the mysteries of God. Habakkuk raises deep questions about the actions of God in today’s news.

But as he learned about God’s response, Habakkuk had a further problem of reconciling God’s actions with what he knew about God’s attributes.

When dealing with problems, we must pray.

  1. Pause to think.
  2. Restate basic principles.
  3. Apply the principles to the problem.
  4. Yield the problem to God in faith, if still in doubt.

HABAKKUK: A Case Study

I. Pause to Think

People are saying and thinking all kinds of things that are completely inconsistent with the teaching of God’s Word.

II. Restate Basic Principles

A. God is eternal. (1:12a)
He must have reminded himself that Jehovah was before anything came into existence and would be long after Babylon faded away.

And when problems face you, remind yourself that God is eternal. He is the true God. He is building his kingdom. And the gates of hell shall never prevail against it.

B. God is holy. (1:12b)
In the Bible it is the attribute stressed more often than any other attribute.

When problems arise we must remind ourselves that God is holy.

C. God is sovereign. (1:12c)
God controls history.

He is in sovereign control over today’s news, and we must affirm this basic principle when facing problems.

D. God is faithful. (1:12c)
God is faithful to his kingdom. God is faithful to his promises. God is faithful to his Word. And that is a great comfort to us when dealing with problems.

III. Apply the Principles to the Problem

Habakkuk took the third step and applied these basic principles to his problem.

We must apply the principles of all that we know about God and his Word to our particular problem, whatever that may be.

IV. Yield the Problem to God in Faith, If Still in Doubt

There was one part of the problem that Habakkuk still did not understand, and this was the part he yielded to God in faith.

You and I must do what the prophet did: Yield the problem to God and leave it with him.