The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled "Is God Always Good?" Our Scripture text is in Habakkuk, chapter 3.
You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Is God Always Good? | Why God? | Pastor Jeff Crook from Christ Place Church on Vimeo.
Is God Always Good? | Why God? | Pastor Jeff Crook from Christ Place Church on Vimeo.
We can be hopeful even in the hardest times. This is what the short little three-chapter book of Habakkuk teaches us. In the first chapter, Habakkuk asked the question, "Why, God?" In the second chapter, we read about waiting on God. Today we are in the third chapter where we will read that God is good always, even in the hard times.
It is easy to say that God is good when things are going well, but can we still say that God is good when life crumbles around us?
As we read through Habakkuk, we see that Habakkuk's circumstances didn't change, but his heart was changed. God doesn't always change our circumstances, but He changes us.
Read Habakkuk's prayer in chapter 3, verses 1 and 2.
A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.
Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear.
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy. - Habakkuk 3:1-2
Now, read what Habakkuk says in chapter 3, verse 18.
Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. - Habakkuk 3:18
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Things were still bad, but Habakkuk still praised God.
Let's go back now and include verse 17.
Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. - Habakkuk 3:17-18
We were encouraged to circle the words "Though" in verse 17 and the word "Yet" in verse 18. If you don't have your Bible with you right now, go get it if you can. Find Habakkuk 3:17-18 in your Bible and circle these words. Remember them.
Let's put verse 17 within today's perspective. It would be like a total collapse of our economy. Even so, Habakkuk says that God is good.
Let's put verse 17 within today's perspective. It would be like a total collapse of our economy. Even so, Habakkuk says that God is good.
I know this is not easy. In fact, it can sometimes be really hard to say that God is good when the world around us crumbles . . .
when we get a cancer diagnosis.
when our child rebels.
when we lose a parent.
when we lose a child.
when we suffer financially.
when we suffer a broken relationship.
The list could go on and on and on.
Is God Always Good?
How do we get to a point where we can say that God is good even in the hard times?
Remember:
1. God's grace gives us stability. God never runs out of grace.
The Lord God is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places. - Habakkuk 3:19
Why are high places important? Remember what we said last week about the rampart? High places can give us an advantage over the enemy.
Suffering will either make you humble or it will make you arrogant. Suffering will make you sweeter or it will make you sour.
God gives us "hinds feet" so that we can tread the mountains. God uses the tough times to build our character. Then, later on we can be thankful for the suffering because God used it for good.
Keep your eyes on Jesus!
2. Suffering and Joy happen concurrently.
God is not only good after the suffering. He is good during the suffering as well.
Are you facing a crises?
In God, you can have deep peace in the midst of your crisis.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
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Have you received bad news lately?
God will give you hinds feet for the struggle.
3. We must repeat and remember.
We must remember the discipline of repeating. Habakkuk continued to praise God over and over again even though his circumstances didn't change. We need to repeatedly praise God even when our circumstances don't change. We learn by repetition. There are 4 gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All four gospels tell the same story. Reading all four gospels repeatedly help us to remember the truths taught in the gospels. God uses the discipline of repetition to teach us life lessons and make us stronger.
These notes that I'm typing right now are repeated. First, I write them down in my own handwriting as my pastor preaches on Sunday mornings. I come here later to type them into my blog. I do this to help me remember what I'm taught. I do this so I can come back later to reread my notes in organized groups and so that you who are reading this can benefit from them as well.
We must remember the discipline of remembering. We need to remind ourselves of who God is. We need to remind ourselves of God's faithfulness. Remember God's Word. Remember all that God has already done for you in the past.
Keep your eyes on God, not on your circumstances or the people you might blame for your circumstances.
Is God always good? YES!
Our pastor tells the stories of two different men. Be sure to watch the entire video above to get the whole story. The gist of the story is that one man was blesses with abundance and He praised God for His faithfulness. The second man suffered great losses, but he still praised God for His faithfulness.
Don't lose hope when things go wrong.
God is good all the time.
