Embrace When You Feel Stuck (Habakkuk 3:1-11)

Introduction: Feeling Stuck

Have you ever felt stuck?

Like you were praying, trying, waiting... and still, nothing seemed to change?

I know that feeling all too well.

There were moments in my life where I faced problems head-on, I prayed with all my heart — and yet, I still felt trapped.

It seemed like nothing was moving in the right direction.

For a long time, I believed a lie: that if I showed my struggles, if I admitted my frustrations, it meant my faith was weak.

I thought I had to act like everything was fine, like nothing could shake me.

But the truth is — feeling stuck doesn’t mean your faith is broken. It means you’re human. It is how we come out of this situation that matters.

When I look at the people in the Bible — David, Job, and the one we'll focus on today — I see a pattern.

Each of them had moments when they questioned, when they wrestled, when they struggled before God.

It wasn’t because they lost faith. It was because they were real. Because they understood that, on our own, we have limits — but God has none.

Today, we meet the prophet Habakkuk. His very name means "to embrace" and "to wrestle" — and that’s exactly what he had to do.

Habakkuk found himself in a place where nothing made sense, where he felt stuck. So what did he do?

He wrestled with God. He questioned. He cried out.

And through it all, he learned something powerful: when life feels stuck, we must embrace God even tighter.

Today, we’re going to learn from Habakkuk’s journey. We’re going to discover how to hold onto hope — even in the hardest seasons.

Our main scripture comes from Habakkuk 3:1-11, but the entire book is a rich, honest reflection — a mirror for us to see where we stand in our own faith.

Let’s dive in together.

Point 1: Questioning (Habakkuk 1)

In Habakkuk chapter 1, the prophet Habakkuk is wrestling with some big, painful questions. Mainly, he’s questioning:

Why is God allowing so much injustice and violence among His own people (Judah)? Habakkuk sees lawlessness, oppression, and evil everywhere and wonders why God seems silent and inactive.

Why would God use an even more wicked nation (Babylon) to punish Judah? When God answers that He’s raising up the ruthless Babylonians (Chaldeans) to judge Judah, Habakkuk is even more shocked. He’s like, "Wait, how can a holy God use a nation even worse than us to carry out judgment?"

Scripture:

Habakkuk 1:2–4 “How long, Lord, must I call for help and you do not listen or cry out to you about violence and you do not save? Why do you force me to look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates. This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.”

Insight: Habakkuk doesn’t sugarcoat his frustration — he brings his raw, unfiltered emotions straight to God.

Faith isn't pretending everything is fine. Faith is daring to be real with God.

Chapter 1 of Habakkuk shows us the first stage: the stage of questioning. Take a moment to reflect: Is this where you are today? Are you facing circumstances that seem impossible, feeling like you’re waiting for God to intervene — and wondering why He hasn’t?

This chapter invites us to be honest — brutally honest — about our doubts, our fears, and our pain. It reminds us that God is big enough to handle our hardest questions, and He invites us to bring them to Him — even when they hurt.

Self-Reflection: Ask yourself: What specific hurts, injustices, or frustrations are you carrying right now? How are they making you question God's character or His timing?

Action Step: If you find yourself in this season, here's your challenge: This week, pray one raw, honest prayer. Don’t hold back. Don’t filter it. God would rather have your messy, broken prayers than hear you pretend everything’s okay.

It’s okay to feel doubt. Doubt isn’t the end — it’s an invitation. Use it as a catalyst to press in closer to God. Because only He holds the answers, the healing, and the hope we desperately need.

Point 2: Waiting (Habakkuk 2)

In Habakkuk chapter 2, God answers by telling Habakkuk to “Wait and trust."

God tells Habakkuk to write the vision down clearly, because the fulfillment is certain — even if it feels slow, wait for it.

God's justice is on the way, perfectly timed.

Scripture:

Habakkuk 2:1 “I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint.”

After pouring out his heart to God, Habakkuk doesn’t storm off in frustration. Instead, he makes a decision — a powerful one: He says, "I will watch. I will wait."

Let’s stop right here. It’s easy to question God and then walk away when we don’t get instant answers. But true faith says, “I will stay. I will watch. I will wait.”

And when Habakkuk does this, God responds: "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late." — Habakkuk 2:3

Are you in this stage right now? Chapter 2 of Habakkuk represents a season many of us know too well — the season of waiting. After the initial questions come the long, sometimes painful periods where we don’t see God moving the way we hoped. It’s frustrating. It can even feel like God has gone silent. But remember: silence is not absence. Delay is not denial.

Self-Reflection: Ask yourself: What specific areas of your life are you waiting on God for? What are you hoping for? And while you wait, how can you cultivate patience and trust, believing that God is at work even when you can’t see it yet?

Action Step: Start a "Watch Post." Set up a place where you can track the small signs of God's movement in your life. Journal moments of grace, unexpected blessings, and tiny victories. Record them. Celebrate them. Because when you start looking, you’ll realize God is always working — even in the waiting.

Point 3: Trusting (Habakkuk 3:1–11)

Scripture:

Habakkuk 3:2 “Lord, I have heard the report about you; Lord, I stand in awe of your deeds. Revive your work in these years; make it known in these years. In your wrath remember mercy!”

Insight: Habakkuk experiences a powerful shift — from questioning to worshiping.

Notice this: Nothing around him has changed yet. The circumstances are still hard. The questions are still real. But something inside of him is different.

Listen — we may doubt God at one point. We may question His ways. But deep down, I believe every one of us here knows: at the end of the day, God is always right. And when we realize that, we can’t help but worship.

There were moments in my own life when I had no idea where I was going. I questioned if I was on the right path. But every time, God showed up. Every time, He provided confirmation. And when you’re walking in the direction He’s called you to, you’ll know — not because the road is easy, but because His overwhelming peace surrounds you.

Chapter 3 of Habakkuk marks a turning point — a shift from wondering and waiting to trusting. It calls us to worship God, not just for what He does, but for who He is. It’s about having bold confidence in God's goodness and faithfulness — even when everything around us seems to crumble.

Self-Reflection: Ask yourself: How can you shift your focus from your circumstances to God's character? What attributes of God — His faithfulness, His mercy, His power — can you cling to today?

Action Step: Practice remembrance.

Each day, thank God for one past breakthrough. Let the memory of His past faithfulness fuel your faith for the future.

Because the same God who brought you through before will do it again.

Closing Reflections: Embrace Even When Stuck

Habakkuk’s Life: A journey we all walk at some point. A journey from complaint to confidence. From wrestling to worship. From feeling abandoned to embracing God's faithfulness.

Habakkuk shows us something powerful: Doubt is not the enemy of faith — it’s part of the journey of faith.

Feeling doubt doesn’t make you a bad Christian. Wrestling with God doesn’t mean you’re losing faith — it means you’re taking your faith seriously enough to ask hard questions.

Habakkuk’s story encourages us to embrace our doubts, not hide from them. To be real with God. To ask the tough questions. And ultimately — to choose to trust Him even when the answers aren't clear.

Because faith isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about trusting the One who does.

Final Call to Action: Embrace the Wrestle

When you feel stuck, don’t run away. Bring your questions straight to Him. He’s not afraid of them.

When you feel stuck, don’t give up. Watch. Wait. Trust that He will respond — in His perfect timing.

When you feel stuck, don’t stay silent. Lift your voice. Trust Him — and you will find yourself worshiping Him, even before the breakthrough comes.

Today, will you choose to embrace God — even while you’re still wrestling?

Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer:

“Father, we confess — we often don’t understand Your ways. But today we choose to embrace You anyway. Teach us to trust You when we feel stuck. Remind us You are still moving, even in our waiting. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”