What God?

READING THE TEXT – HABAKKUK 1:12–2:4 (NLT)

BIG IDEA – FAITH WHEN GOD FEELS CONFUSING

If I could summarize this whole passage in one sentence, it would be this: “When life doesn’t make sense, faith remembers who God is even when we don’t understand what He’s doing.”

Habakkuk’s faith is being stretched. He’s wrestling with divine tension — “How can a holy God use an unholy people for a holy purpose?”

That’s the whole heart of this passage. And I want to say this to somebody today: Faith doesn’t mean you never wrestle — faith means you wrestle toward God, not away from Him.

See, most people run when God confuses them. Habakkuk waits. He prays. He questions, but he questions in faith.

This passage shows us what to do when God’s plan doesn’t match our logic. Because listen — If your faith only works when life makes sense, that’s not faith, that’s agreement.

POINT ONE – GOD’S CHARACTER NEVER CHANGES, EVEN WHEN HIS METHODS CONFUSE US (1:12–13)

Let’s start here in verse 12. Habakkuk says,

“O Lord my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal—surely you do not plan to wipe us out?”

You can almost hear the emotion in his voice. It’s like, “God, I know You’re good… but this doesn’t feel good.”

Notice what he does though — Before he questions God’s plan, he reminds himself of God’s character.

“O Lord” — that’s Yahweh, covenant name. The faithful, personal God. “My Holy One” — He’s pure. He’s not corrupt. “You who are eternal” — He doesn’t change.

See what he’s doing? He’s anchoring his theology before he questions his reality.

That’s huge.

Because when life starts falling apart, your emotions will try to rewrite your theology. But your theology should be the thing that steadies your emotions.

Come on, this is where we’ve got to grow up as believers — When things don’t go our way, we can’t just toss out what we know about God.

He’s still holy. He’s still good. He’s still sovereign. He’s still eternal. And He’s still faithful.

Illustration – The Puzzle Box

You ever try to do a thousand-piece puzzle without the picture on the box? It’s torture, right? You’re staring at a pile of colors, trying to figure out what piece goes where.

That’s how life feels sometimes. You’ve got all these broken pieces, and none of them make sense. You’re like, “God, what are You building here?”

But God’s got the box top. He sees the full picture. And He’s putting the pieces together — even the ones that don’t seem to fit.

Tim Keller said it like this,

“If you have a God who’s big enough to be mad at when things go wrong, then you also have a God big enough to have reasons you can’t understand.”

Come on, that’s real.

That’s what Habakkuk’s learning — God’s methods might confuse you, but His nature never changes.

Transitional Wrap

Habakkuk gets that God is holy and eternal — but now he’s got another question. If God’s so holy, why is He using a people who are so unholy?

That’s where we’re going next. And church, this next section — this is where Habakkuk gets raw. He starts asking the questions most of us are too afraid to ask out loud.

SECTION 2 – WHEN GOD’S METHODS DON’T MAKE SENSE (1:13–17)

Alright, so Habakkuk’s just reminded himself of who God is — eternal, holy, pure, faithful. But now, he’s staring at what God’s doing, and it doesn’t seem to line up with who God is.

He says in verse 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?”

Come on, you can feel that tension, right? “God, You hate evil — so why are You using evil people to accomplish Your will?”

It’s like he’s saying, “God, how are You letting this happen?!”

And if we’re being honest, we’ve all prayed that same prayer. “God, how did they get the promotion?” “How did they get healed?” “How are they the ones who seem blessed — when I’m the one following You?”

It’s that gut-level moment where theology meets reality, and it feels like they’re not shaking hands.

THE “BABYLON” PROBLEM

So here’s what’s happening in context: Judah — God’s people — had become corrupt. They were full of idolatry, injustice, oppression. And Habakkuk prayed, “God, fix it!”

And God said, “Okay… I’m sending Babylon.”

Now Babylon was ruthless. They were violent, immoral, godless. They invaded nations, slaughtered people, burned cities, and worshiped their weapons.

So Habakkuk’s like, “Wait a second — You’re gonna use them to punish us?!” That’s like God saying, “I’m gonna use the cartel to teach the church a lesson.”

You’d be like, “God, are You serious?!”

See, Judah’s problem was bad, but Babylon’s was worse. So Habakkuk’s question is this: “How can a holy God use unholy instruments to accomplish a holy purpose?”

That’s not a small question. That’s a deep, painful, theological, emotional question.

And maybe you’ve asked a version of that too. “God, why did You let that person hurt me?” “Why did You allow that accident?” “Why didn’t You stop that evil?”

It’s the same cry: “God, You’re good — so why are You letting bad win?”

THE ILLUSION OF INJUSTICE

Look again at verses 14–17. Habakkuk gets poetic here. He says,

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

You can hear his pain. He’s like, “God, are we just a joke to these people? Are we just prey? Are we just pawns?”

He says in verse 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.”

In other words — “God, they’re giving their idols credit for what You’re allowing!”

And he ends with this question:

“Will You let them get away with this forever?”

That’s the heart of the cry — “God, how long?”

STORY – WHEN THE WICKED SEEM TO WIN

Years ago, I sat across from a guy in my church — I’ll call him Mike. Mike had worked hard his whole life. He was honest, generous, prayed with his family every night. Then one day, a corrupt competitor undercut his business. Lied. Bribed. Cheated.

And within months, Mike’s business went under. The guy who did it? Driving a new Escalade, posting pictures from the Bahamas.

Mike looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “Pastor, I just don’t get it. Why would God let him win and let me lose?”

And I didn’t have a clean, packaged answer. Because the truth is — there are seasons where evil seems to prosper. There are moments where it looks like the devil’s running the scoreboard.

But listen to me, church — God may let the wicked rise for a moment, but it’s only long enough to set up their fall.

Psalm 37 says,

“Do not fret because of those who do evil, for like grass they will soon fade away.”

Babylon looked unstoppable… Until God stopped them.

Judah went into captivity for seventy years. Babylon? Wiped off the map.

God may delay justice, but He never denies it.

Craig Groeschel says,

“Just because God is silent doesn’t mean He’s absent. Just because He hasn’t acted yet doesn’t mean He’s not working.”

See, God’s patience isn’t weakness — it’s mercy.

2 Peter 3:9 says,

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake.”

You know what that means? Every delay in judgment is an opportunity for repentance. Every moment God seems quiet is actually an act of grace.

APPLICATION – DON’T CONFUSE PATIENCE FOR PERMISSION

Here’s where it gets real practical. Sometimes we look around and think, “Well, nothing’s happened yet, so maybe God’s okay with it.”

No, no, no. Don’t confuse His patience for His permission.

God’s silence is not approval. God’s delay is not dismissal.

If you’re living in sin, and you haven’t felt the consequences yet, that’s not God winking at it — that’s God warning you. He’s giving you time to repent.

And if you’re suffering, and it feels like the wicked are getting away with it — don’t lose heart. Justice delayed is still justice coming.

Listen — God keeps the receipts.

Habakkuk’s struggling because from where he’s standing, it looks like God’s gone soft on sin. But in reality, God’s setting up both judgment and redemption on a global scale.

ILLUSTRATION – THE CROSSFIT COACH

I think of it like a trainer. You’re in the middle of a workout. You’re exhausted. You’re thinking, “This is torture!” And the coach is standing there saying, “I know it hurts — but this is what’s making you stronger.”

That’s what God’s doing with Judah. It hurts, it’s heavy, it’s confusing — but He’s shaping them. He’s stripping away their idols. He’s building endurance and dependence.

Paul writes in Romans 5:3–4,

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”

See that? God’s not wasting your pain — He’s working through it.

A QUICK SIDE NOTE – HABAKKUK’S HONESTY

Can we just stop and appreciate how honest Habakkuk is? He’s not pretending. He’s not polishing up his prayers for God’s approval. He’s raw. He’s real. He’s wrestling.

And God doesn’t rebuke him for it. He doesn’t say, “How dare you question Me?” He listens.

That’s important — God is not intimidated by your questions. He’d rather have your honest wrestling than your fake worship.

Faith isn’t pretending everything’s fine — it’s being honest and still trusting anyway.

Tyler Staton said,

“Faith is not the absence of questions. It’s the decision to bring your questions into the presence of God.”

That’s what Habakkuk does. He doesn’t walk away — he climbs up to the watchtower and waits.

(pause for effect)

And that’s where we’re headed next.

When everything’s confusing… when it feels like the wicked are winning… when the heavens are quiet… What do you do?

You wait. You watch. You listen.

Let’s look at what Habakkuk does next in chapter 2 — He climbs the tower. He positions himself to hear from God.

SECTION 3 – WAITING ON THE WATCHTOWER (Habakkuk 2:1–3)

Alright, church — so Habakkuk has poured his heart out. He’s cried, questioned, and wrestled. He doesn’t get it. He’s like, “God, You’re holy… but You’re using Babylon?!” He’s confused, but here’s what he does next — and this is massive — he doesn’t walk away.

He waits.

Chapter 2, verse 1 — this right here is one of the most underrated, overlooked, spiritually mature verses in the whole Bible. Look at it with me:

“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.”

Come on, that’s powerful. Habakkuk says, “I’m not going to run away from God — I’m going to position myself to hear from Him.”

POINT ONE – FAITH WAITS IN THE TENSION

Notice, he doesn’t say, “I’m gonna scroll until I feel better.” He doesn’t say, “I’m gonna post about it and see who agrees with me.” He says, “I’m going to climb up and wait.”

That word wait in Hebrew — it’s active, not passive. It means “to expect, to anticipate.” It’s like a soldier standing on a wall, scanning the horizon for a signal from his commander.

See, faith doesn’t run when it’s confused. Faith waits.

John Mark Comer calls this “embracing the slowness of God.” He says,

“The problem with hurry is that it makes us unavailable to God.”

That’s it. When we rush, we miss revelation.

Some of you — God’s been trying to speak to you, but you’re too busy refreshing your feed to refresh your faith. Habakkuk climbs the tower, meaning — he gets above the noise.

ILLUSTRATION – THE WATCHTOWER

In the ancient world, the watchtower was a place of vigilance. It was built high, away from the chaos, where the guard could see clearly.

That’s the image here. Habakkuk says, “I’m going up — I need perspective.”

And that’s what some of you need today. You’ve been living in the valley of confusion, surrounded by noise and negativity. It’s time to climb higher — spiritually.

How?

Get alone. Get quiet. Get in His Word. Get in His presence.

Because listen — You can’t hear the whisper of God if your life is full of constant noise.

STORY – THE BUSY COFFEE SHOP

A few years ago, I was trying to write a message at a coffee shop — you know, being that cool “pastor with a laptop and latte” guy. But the music was loud, people were talking, milk frother’s hissing, and I couldn’t focus.

So I grabbed my stuff, went outside, and just sat in silence. And in that quiet moment — I heard it. Not an audible voice, but that clear inner nudge of the Holy Spirit.

And it reminded me — Sometimes you don’t need more volume. You need more stillness.

That’s what Habakkuk’s doing. He’s not trying to shout louder than his confusion — he’s trying to listen deeper in it.

POINT TWO – GOD ALWAYS SPEAKS TO THE ONE WHO WAITS (2:2–3)

Look what happens next — God answers.

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

Come on — underline that last line in your Bible: “If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently.”

That’s God saying, “I know you’re waiting, but I’m not late.”

God’s not pacing Heaven saying, “Oh no, I lost track of time.” He’s never early, never late — always right on time.

Craig Groeschel puts it like this,

“Trusting God means believing He has good timing, even when you don’t like His timing.”

APPLICATION – GOD’S TIMING IS NEVER OFF

I know some of you are in a waiting season right now. You’ve prayed, but heaven feels silent. You’ve obeyed, but nothing’s moving. You’re stuck between promise and fulfillment.

And you’re tempted to think, “Maybe God forgot.” But listen — the same God who gave the promise is the same God who controls the clock.

He’s not slow — He’s strategic. He’s not distant — He’s deliberate.

Sometimes God delays because He’s developing you. He’s getting you ready for what you’ve been praying for.

If He gave it too soon, it would crush you. But if He gives it in His time, it will complete you.

STORY – THE DELAYED ANSWER

I remember a woman in our church who prayed for her husband to come to Christ — 20 years. Twenty. Years. No change. No movement. No interest.

And then one Sunday, out of nowhere, he walked through the doors. He sat in the back, arms crossed. I preached the gospel. He cried. He gave his life to Jesus that day.

After service, she told me, “Pastor, I thought God had forgotten me. But I realized — He was just working on him while He was working on me.”

Come on — sometimes the delay is the deliverance.

POINT THREE – WRITE IT DOWN

God says to Habakkuk,

“Write my answer plainly on tablets.”

Why? Because what God says in the light, you’ll need to remember when it gets dark again.

Some of you need to start journaling what God’s teaching you. Write it down. Because in your next storm, you’re going to need to read what God already said.

Habakkuk didn’t just hear the word — he recorded it. And that word ended up outliving Babylon, outliving Judah’s exile, outliving the prophet himself.

That’s how faithful God’s Word is.

Isaiah 40:8 says,

“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

So when life gets crazy — go back to what He’s already said. When you can’t see what God’s doing, read what God’s promised.

APPLICATION – WATCHTOWER MOMENTS

I think this is where so many of us get off track. We pray, but we don’t wait. We ask, but we don’t listen.

But the mature believer — like Habakkuk — learns to say, “I don’t understand what You’re doing, God… but I trust You enough to stay here until You speak.”

Maybe you need to build your own “watchtower” — that sacred space where you meet with God.

Maybe it’s your porch in the morning, before the world wakes up. Maybe it’s your car before work. Maybe it’s the back corner of your house after the kids go to bed.

But wherever it is — climb up there and wait. Because He will speak. Not always with answers… sometimes just with presence.

(slow down, let it sink in)

Habakkuk doesn’t know it yet — but the next words God speaks to him will change history. Because out of his waiting… comes one of the greatest statements in the whole Bible.

It’s the verse that will echo through the book of Romans… the verse that will spark the Protestant Reformation… the verse that will define the very heart of the gospel itself.

And we’ll look at that next.

SECTION 4 – THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH (Habakkuk 2:4)

Alright, here we go — this is the verse. This is the line that changes everything. The verse that holds the entire book of Habakkuk together, and honestly… the entire Bible.

Let’s read it again —

“Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”

Whew. That right there — that’s the gospel before the gospel.

Habakkuk didn’t even know the name Jesus yet, but he’s preaching grace by faith before grace ever had a cross to hang on.

TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE

God gives Habakkuk a contrast: The proud and the righteous.

It’s still the same today. Those are the only two categories of people in the world. You’re either trusting yourself, or you’re trusting God.

Let’s unpack that.

THE PROUD – TRUSTING THEMSELVES

God says,

“Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.”

Pride says, “I don’t need God.” “I’ve got this.” “I’ll fix it. I’ll save myself. I’ll define my own truth.”

Sound familiar? That’s our culture. We live in a world that glorifies the self — Self-made. Self-care. Self-expression. Self-truth. Self-salvation.

And yet — the more we make life about us, the more crooked our lives become.

Judah was proud. Babylon was proud. And God says, “That path only leads to ruin.”

ILLUSTRATION – THE LEANING LADDER

It’s like climbing a ladder leaning against the wrong wall. You work, you strive, you grind — and then one day you realize… you’ve been climbing toward emptiness.

That’s pride. And here’s the thing about pride — it’s not just arrogance, it’s independence.

It’s not just saying, “I’m better than you.” It’s saying, “I don’t need You, God.”

And God opposes the proud. (James 4:6) He loves them, but He resists them.

Because pride blocks grace. You can’t receive what you’re still trying to earn.

THE RIGHTEOUS – TRUSTING GOD

Then comes the second half of the verse —

“But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”

Now pause — this is huge. That phrase — “the righteous will live by faith” — becomes the cornerstone of the entire New Testament.

Paul quotes it in Romans 1:17 —

“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”

He quotes it again in Galatians 3:11, and the writer of Hebrews uses it in 10:38.

This one line from Habakkuk becomes the heartbeat of salvation.

You are not made right with God by what you do — but by who you trust.

DOCTRINE – JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

Here’s the doctrine right here: Justification by faith alone.

That means this — You are declared righteous not because of your record, but because of Christ’s record applied to you through faith.

When you believe in Jesus, God doesn’t see your sin — He sees His Son.

That’s the message Habakkuk foreshadows. It’s not about human faithfulness trying to reach God; it’s about God’s faithfulness reaching down to humanity.

Tim Keller said,

“The gospel is not that we give God a good record, it’s that Jesus gives us His.”

That’s why pride and faith can’t coexist. Because faith starts where self ends.

ILLUSTRATION – THE LIFEBOAT

Picture two people in the ocean. One’s trying to swim to shore on their own. The other grabs onto a lifeboat.

Who’s going to make it?

The one who trusts the lifeboat — not the one who trusts their strength.

That’s what faith is. It’s saying, “I can’t save myself. I’m grabbing onto Jesus.”

And that’s why Habakkuk 2:4 is the verse that would one day ignite the Reformation.

STORY – MARTIN LUTHER

Martin Luther was a monk — devoted, disciplined, terrified of God’s wrath. He would confess for hours, fast for days, trying to be “good enough.” But no matter how hard he tried, he felt condemned.

Then one day, as he was studying Romans 1:17 — “The righteous shall live by faith” — he said it hit him like lightning.

He realized — righteousness wasn’t something he could achieve; it was something he could receive.

And in that moment, the gospel set him free.

He said,

“It felt as if the gates of paradise were opened, and I walked through.”

That’s the power of Habakkuk’s verse.

POINT – FAITH IS NOT DENIAL, IT’S DEPENDENCE

Let me be clear — Faith isn’t pretending everything’s fine. Faith is trusting that God’s still faithful when nothing’s fine.

Habakkuk’s not saying, “Everything’s okay.” He’s saying, “God’s still in control.”

Judah’s about to fall. Babylon’s about to invade. But God says, “The righteous will live — by faith.”

Not by what they see. Not by what they feel. Not by what they understand. But by what they believe.

ILLUSTRATION – THE FIRE AND THE FURNACE

Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego — also during Babylon’s time? They said, “Our God can save us… but even if He doesn’t, we will not bow.”

That’s faith. Faith says, “Even if I don’t get what I want, I’ll still trust who You are.”

That’s Habakkuk’s kind of faith.

He’s not worshiping God for outcomes — he’s worshiping God for identity.

That’s the difference between transactional faith and transformational faith.

Transactional faith says, “I’ll trust You if…” Transformational faith says, “I’ll trust You even if.”

APPLICATION – WHAT LIVING BY FAITH LOOKS LIKE

So what does “the righteous live by faith” look like in your life?

It looks like this:

When your bank account’s tight, but you still tithe — that’s faith.

When you pray for healing and it doesn’t come, but you still worship — that’s faith.

When you forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it — that’s faith.

When you keep showing up to church even though you’re hurting — that’s faith.

Faith is not a feeling. Faith is obedience in the dark.

Paul Tripp said,

“Faith is not about getting your way. It’s about following God’s way even when you don’t understand it.”

Come on, that’s real.

CALL TO PERSONAL REFLECTION

Let me ask you this — Are you living by faith right now?

Or are you living by sight? Are you trusting God’s promises, or are you being driven by your problems?

If you’re waiting on something, don’t let the delay make you doubt His goodness. God’s not late. He’s not absent. He’s not indifferent.

He’s writing a story that’s bigger than what you can see.

(slow down)

Habakkuk didn’t know it, but this line — “the righteous will live by faith” — would echo all the way to the cross.

Because there would come a day when the Righteous One — Jesus Christ — would die by faith so that we could live by faith.

When He hung there on that cross, it looked like Habakkuk’s nightmare all over again. The wicked winning. The righteous suffering. God silent.

But on the third day, God spoke again — not through words, but through resurrection.

That’s how we know… When it looks like evil wins, when it feels like God’s gone quiet, when your world’s falling apart — the righteous still live. Not by explanation. By faith.

SECTION 5 – THE GOSPEL CONNECTION + CALL TO SALVATION + CLOSING CHALLENGE

Alright, church, let’s bring this home.

We’ve walked with Habakkuk through confusion, complaint, waiting, and finally — revelation. He’s wrestled with God’s plan. He’s stood in the tension. He’s waited on the tower. And now, God speaks:

“The righteous will live by faith.”

That one line changes everything. Because it’s not just Habakkuk’s hope — it’s our hope. It’s not just ancient prophecy — it’s present reality.

THE GOSPEL IN HABAKKUK

Let’s connect the dots for a moment. Habakkuk’s whole struggle was this: “How can a holy God use evil and still be good?”

And the answer — the full, eternal, cosmic answer — wouldn’t come until the cross.

Because there, 600 years later, another Holy One stood silent before evil. Another innocent Man was surrounded by violence and injustice. Another righteous One was swallowed up by the wicked.

And this time — it wasn’t Babylon. It was Rome. It was the religious leaders. It was the sin of humanity. It was you and me.

At the cross, it looked like God had lost. The wicked were laughing. The righteous was dying. Heaven was silent.

But come on — the story didn’t end on Friday. Because on Sunday morning, the tomb was empty and the verdict was reversed.

And suddenly, everything that didn’t make sense started to make sense.

POINT – THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE BY FAITH IN JESUS

So here’s the truth today — You and I, we are Habakkuk. We live in the tension of a broken world and a holy God. We see injustice. We wrestle with pain. We wait for answers.

But the gospel says: The righteous will live — not by what they understand, but by who they trust.

You don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to put your faith in the One who does.

And His name is Jesus.

GOSPEL PRESENTATION

Maybe you’re here today and you’ve been running. You’ve been trying to make sense of life on your own. Maybe you’ve been proud — trusting in yourself. Maybe you’ve been broken — thinking you’ve gone too far.

Hear me — The same God who met Habakkuk in his confusion wants to meet you in yours.

Romans 10:9 says,

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

That’s the promise.

Salvation isn’t earned — it’s received. Forgiveness isn’t achieved — it’s offered. Grace isn’t deserved — it’s given.

And all you have to do is reach out in faith.

If you’re ready to do that today, to stop trusting yourself and start trusting Jesus — I want to lead you in a simple prayer.

SINNER’S PRAYER

Right where you are, would you bow your head and say this — and mean it from your heart:

“Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You died for my sins and rose again. I confess that I’ve tried to live life my own way. I’ve trusted myself instead of You. But today, I surrender. Forgive me. Save me. Fill me with Your Spirit. From this day forward, I will live by faith — in You alone. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Come on, church — can we celebrate what God just did? 🙌

CLOSING CHALLENGE – FAITH FOR THE LONG GAME

Now listen — for those of you who are already believers, this is where you put Habakkuk’s lesson into practice.

God may not answer every “why.” He may not remove every storm. He may not explain every pain.

But He has given you Himself — and that’s enough.

Faith doesn’t erase fear — it outlasts it. Faith doesn’t deny reality — it redefines it. Faith doesn’t fix everything instantly — but it anchors you until eternity.

STORY – HABAKKUK’S ENDING

And you know what’s amazing? By the end of this book, Habakkuk is singing. He goes from complaining in chapter 1… to worshiping in chapter 3.

He says,

“Even though the fig tree does not blossom, and there are no grapes on the vine… yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17–18)

How does that happen? How does a man go from fear to faith, from despair to joy?

He doesn’t get new circumstances — he gets a new perspective.

He stops staring at Babylon, and he starts beholding God.

that's what we are going to do now … praise God through our new perspective.