What’s Your “Go To”?
What is your first “go to” when you struggle? We’ve seen recently what some people go to when they are upset or angry. Violence and hatred brings even more harm to an already unjust situation. But maybe you go to something less harmful like chocolate? Isolation? Running away? Despair? A friend? Usually we all default to something when things do not seem right in our world.
As a Type A perfectionist-leaning woman, I think my big default is trying to control the situation. But God has shown me over the years that I am NOT in control even when I think I am, but I can fully trust that in His sovereignty, He is!
Recently I was reminded of Habakkuk as I read this quote from Robert J. Morgan’s book, The Strength You Need: “We don’t understand faith until something goes wrong. Faith is a matter of relying on the Lord when our story encounters a problem.”
Habakkuk is one of my favorite books in the Bible, and my favorite part of this book is:
Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The Lord my Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights! Habakkuk 3:17-19
This passage shows such determination. I can be pretty determined when I make up my mind about something, so Habakkuk’s words during trying times resonate with me: No matter what, I WILL trust Him. But I often have to repeat it over and over throughout the day as I keep coming back to the decision to trust.
He is completely faithful, even if I am faithless. Look at what Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:13…if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.
Habakkuk starts out his conversation with God by asking: “How long, Lord, must I call for help and you do not listen…?” (Hab. 1:1) The two have a back and forth conversation, and in Habakkuk in 2:4, God tells him “…the righteous one will live by his faith.“
We fear what will happen through this time of pandemic isolation: Will I still have a job? How will I pay my bills even when I do work again? I’ve lost a loved one, how will I live without them? Will my church be like before? I desperately need corporate worship and community!
God tells Habakkuk that it’s going to get much worse before it gets better.(Sounds similar to what God says to Jeremiah. See my post Settle In.) Yet, we see Habakkuk choosing to trust his God anyway. I found a note I wrote by this passage in my Bible: I will trust God no matter what. He is enough! I am satisfied in him no matter the circumstances.
I’ve lived enough of life to have experienced His faithfulness in the hardest crises, some that lasted YEARS! At times my prayers were answered as I prayed, other times they were answered in His way that was not how I prayed. In each, I’ve seen His faithfulness, so how can I not trust Him for this season and ones to come? After all I’ve seen of Him in my life, I cannot do anything but trust Him…even if the fig tree doesn’t doesn’t bud and there’s no fruit on the vine!
I needed this reminder. Maybe you do too. Instead of our “go to” being control, we can trust the sovereignty of Christ. We can turn panic to calmness, despair to joy, and hopelessness to faith in the one true hope we have.
In this season of separation through COVID-19, politics and hatred, let’s pray for unity under God’s mighty hand as we learn to “love God and love others.” Let’s pray that this time in our history will not only take us deeper with Christ, but will also open doors for the lost to hear about this faithful Lord we serve. How desperately we all need Him!
Banner photo by nikko macaspac on Unsplash
