When God Doesn't Seem to Keep his Promises

  • How is it that the events of our lives don’t always seem to match up with the promises of God?
  • It turns out that this is not just a personal struggle for a few, but one of the central themes of the Bible.

 

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The problem with following God is that his words do not always seem to match up with his actions.

  • This is one of the problems with following God.
    • Is God just like these people who say one thing but do another…?…?
    • We’re going to look at a number of passages but focussing on Habakkuk. Let’s read the first two chapters.

How do we handle it when God doesn’t seem to keep his promises?

  • Habakkuk’s (and Abraham/Sarah’s) problem with God
    Readings from Habakkuk 1:1–13
    • Habakkuk had a dilemma when he compared God’s Words with his Works – they didn’t seem to match up.
    Genesis 12, 13, 15, 17, 18 & 21 Abraham & Sarah
  • The answer that Habakkuk gets
    • Summary of these verses: My words will come to pass—the faithful will stay the course!
    • Habakkuk’s third chapter is full of declarations of his firm faith. He says in Habakkuk 3:17–19:
    1. 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;
      (in other words God’s Works all seem to be against him)
    2. Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
    3. 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.
    (he will nevertheless put his confidence in God’s promises.)
  • Our problem with God
    • There is only one answer to this problem and that is Jesus Christ living in us and giving us his strength.
    • Jesus experienced all the personal problems: loneliness, hostility, betrayal, grief.
      • He lived a life of poverty and suffering.
    • But he demonstrated what it looks like to have perfect faith and trust in his Father.
    • In his agony on the cross he even experienced being forsaken by the Father.
    • When you are faced with this test, you have two choices
    1. Believe Satan’s lies and say “God, if there really is a God, doesn’t care about me”
    2. Recognize Satan’s lies for what they are.
      • See Jesus there, hanging on the cross yet like a submissive lamb, trusting his Father.
      • He simply trusted the love of his Father and rested in it.
    • Ephesians 3:18–19
      May each of us
      ”be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height;
      to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;
      that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
  • For full notes, see bibl.ca/guidance-6