When Everything Fails

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Our Text

Habakkuk 3:17–19 NKJV

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— 18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

When Everything Fails

Everybody has a hill to walk on.

Some hills

++are shallow

++are step

Each Hill is different

Steeper Hills

++Require more effort

++May need additional resources

Life will be filled with all kinds of hills

Every Hill will require a climb

What is it that gets you to the top?

What is it that keeps a person climb?

Living in this life requires a Promise

God uses promises

His total interaction with man is base on his promises.

Genesis 15:1–3 NKJV

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”

A Promise has a Dual Nature

Habakkuk 3:19 NLT

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)

A Promise declares

++A present need

++A future supply

A Promise brings hope

Hope is the foundation of what Faith is.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Lord, give me strength!

Have you ever thought that you had exhausted everything and that you had nothing more to give?

It is a cry that recognizes difficulty

a cry for help

It is the prayer God desires the most

How many times are our prayers are a celebration of us?

God is not impress

++by what we have done

++by our successes

++by our failures

++by our plans or priorities

Asks Jonah

God is not moved

++by our circumstances

++by our need

God knows all things about life.

The Promise of Strength

Strength

Strength is the inner resolve or the physical ability to accomplish an endeavor, influence an outcome, or prevail in a conflict.

Two kinds of strength

++Physical strength

++Inner resolve

Physical strength is the most common. It deals with ability, power and authority.

Physical strength

++Positional

++Providential

Positional is the place of authority to act or exercise control over.

Providential has to do with available resources or favor including physical capacity.

Inner resolve

++Matter of faith

++Connects to purpose

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

True strength doesn‘t come from what is visible.

Judges 16:6 NKJV

So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.”

Why would she ask this question?

Maybe our image of Samson may be different

I always pictured him

++Big

++Muscular

If this was the case, it would be obvious why he was so strong.

Maybe he was less like Arnold Schwarzenegger and more like Barney Fife.

Most of the most notable people in History did not get there because of physical strength.

mlk

jfk

Princes Diana

mother teresa

Physical strength can be measured

Inner strength can only be monitored

The secret of Samson’s strength

++Was not his hair

++was not his Vow

++was not connected to human activity

His strength is the activity of a Sovereign God.

God gives gift

release resources

will not share his glory with another

only what we do for Christ will last

There is nothing we can do to make God act on our behalf

there are things we can do to prevent or make ineffective his will for our life.

Habakkuk 3:17 NKJV

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls—

When or efforts fail

We have

++planted

++watered

++done all we can

++when nothing is producing

++when the affect is in conflict with the cause.

Haggai 1:6 NKJV

6 “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

What will you do?

Habakkuk 3:18 NKJV

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

In spite of the circumstances

++I Will Rejoice

++The Lord is God

Philippians 4:4 NKJV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV

in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I will Joy in God

He recognized

++The reality of temporary things

++God is his dwelling place

Habakkuk 3:19 NKJV

19 The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

The true source of our strength is God alone.

Proverbs 3:5–6 NKJV

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

We must activate His strength

Isaiah 40:29–31 NKJV

29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.