New Year’s: A Time to Refocus – Life Is a Journey, part 33
Are you living in the strength and victory of God today? This message offers encouragement to pray in expectation and faith no matter what we’re facing. Plus, learn five ways to focus on God starting now.
God loves you and his plan is for you to prosper no matter how things appear in the natural. All things happen in God’s timing, not ours. But all things are possible and that no matter how things may appear in the natural, God is able. He will deliver, strengthen, and save you.
Through this series, you’ll learn how to live well & enjoy God's promises. You are loved by God; He knows your name. He has a plan for your life. Get helpful advice, encouragement, and hope for a life well lived in 2021 and beyond.
Are you walking in faith and victory? Set your eyes on the promises of God. You only have one life journey; say yes to Jesus.
God has a plan. Will you trust him?
New start, new focus.
New Year’s is a time when many of us refocus and look to the future. It’s out with the old and in with the new. The pains of last year are still fresh in our minds, but remember, yesterday is in the past.
We must understand if life is a journey we need to move forward and not move backwards. We can learn from the past, but we should always look to the future and apply what we have learned so we will not repeat failures or the mistakes we have made in the past.
We need to learn from our past mistakes and seek to draw closer to the Lord each day.
Life is a spiritual journey of learning to seek the Lord with all our hearts. A journey of ups and downs. A journey where, as believers, we were once living far from God, but now we are the children of God. A journey where we were at one time living according to the wisdom of the world. Sadly, many choose to take a different road from the road God desires for them. A journey where the wisdom of the world says is the road one should take. A road that denies the cross of Christ and the power of God. A road that leads away from God Almighty. A road that says the message of the cross is foolishness.
At one time, we were on life’s journey where all we knew was the wisdom of the world. We were once spiritually ignorant, blind, and deceived regarding the things of God.
No matter what your IQ may be, no matter how much you know about God or what you think you know about God, there is so much more you do not know.
“For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:9-12, NIV).
Friends, on this side of Glory we only see in part (see 1 Corinthians 13:9-12). We only know in part. There is so much more we do not understand or know about the plan and power of God Almighty. We cannot understand why evil appears to prosper and the righteous suffer at times. I don’t have all the answers, but I know who does. God Almighty. I know God is holy, righteous, loving and just and he has a plan to prosper you and not harm you; a plan of hope and a future for you. The gift of eternal life is for you and all who believe and place their faith in Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18).
Mankind’s wisdom only sees in part, much like a poor reflection in a mirror, yet one day all will be made clear and be fully known. The truth of God will be made known to all, but for those who refused to believe it will make no difference. The person who refuses to believe stands condemned already. The person who rejects the truth of the Gospel of God is a person who is rejecting eternal life with Christ in Glory.
The fact is, one day every knee will bow, and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Yes, even the person who rejects God and refuses to acknowledge God as God will one day, with Satan and all his followers, bend a knee and confess Jesus as Lord.
Until then, as believers, we need to seek the Lord and look to Jesus every day. We are to share the good news with others and hold on to the promises of God. We are to have faith in Jesus and look past what we see in the natural and look to the promise of God as yes and amen.
Let us choose to always look to Jesus and decide to walk in faith and victory. No matter how things may look in the natural. Let’s keep the faith. Let’s wait upon the Lord.
Will you choose faith over fear?
With this as a beginning, I want us to turn to the book of Habakkuk. I believe the truth found in Habakkuk is relevant for believers today. We need to hear the word of the Lord to Habakkuk and remember to focus on God as we continue along life’s journey. A journey of faith. A journey filled with life choices that will determine where we will spend eternity.
The prophet Habakkuk appears to struggle with what he sees in the natural regarding the people of God experiencing injustice at the hands of an evil nation. Both in the present and in the future.
People will experience pain and suffering, and it is due to mankind’s sin and rebellion against God. The journey of pain, suffering and rebellion first began in the Garden of Eden. Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, all mankind is born with a sin nature. But thanks be to God! Jesus who was born of the Holy Spirit and not of Adam, was born sinless. Jesus lived a sinless life. Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world, and all who place their faith in Jesus will be saved.
Oh, we will sin at times. We will certainly experience pain and suffering along life’s journey. Jesus did; the disciples, the Apostle Paul and countless have. Maybe you have as well. We may even suffer at times for doing good. But know this, God loves you and his plan is for you to prosper no matter how things appear in the natural.
No matter how things look. Let us rejoice (Philippians 4:4).
Proverbs 3:5-6 says to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
And in Isaiah 26:4, we’re encouraged to trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is the Rock eternal.
But then in Deuteronomy 1, we see the Israelites forgot to trust the Lord even after God had led them through the desert and parted the waters of the Red Sea and Jordan River.
“In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go” (Deuteronomy 1:32-33).
God provided food and water and showed them in the way they should go. But in all that the Israelites choose to turn their backs to God and follow the way of other nations. Worshiping and serving other Gods.
What about you? Will you trust the Lord? Will you forget all God has done in your life? Will you focus on the present rather than on God? Will you look past the physical to what God is about to do? Will you walk by faith and not by sight or will you believe the lie of the enemy and follow the wisdom of the world and foolishly turn your back to God as the Israelites did?
I believe we all have Habakkuk moments at times where we see only the injustice. But God desires you to choose faith over fear. Choose Christ and let God deal with the injustice.
Five ways to focus on God in hard times
We must choose carefully what we believe. Focusing on the character, purpose, and wisdom of God as we walk life’s road toward God and not away from God Almighty.
‘How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted’ (Habakkuk 1:2-4).
Is this how you feel at times?
God is not listening. It doesn’t appear that God is doing anything.
Injustice is all around. God doesn’t care.
Strife and conflict seams to abound.
The wicked are advancing and you feel helpless, and hopeless.
I can see how a person may think this at times.
The prophet Habakkuk feared and thought the worst for a time. Habakkuk could not understand how the God he knew in his heart, could allow the pain and violence to come upon the people of God. He did not understand why the oppressors, the unrighteous would prosper. Habakkuk witnessed the injustice and wondered why God, why would you allow this to happen?
God addresses Habakkuk’s concern and, in short, tells Habakkuk, “I’ve got this. I know what I am doing. Injustice will not prevail. Listen, wait, and see.”
What Habakkuk did in the following three chapters is what we need to do.
Here are the five ways we can refocus on God:
Call out to the Lord.
Seek the face of God and press in.
We need to wait upon the Lord, listen and see.
We need to pray and allow the word of God to fill our hearts with spiritual assurance regarding the promises of God.
We need to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes and to look past what we see in the natural and look to God Almighty in both faith and confidence.
If you read all three chapters of Habakkuk you will find God answering the prophet’s prayer. God gives Habakkuk insight into the fact that he was about to do something.
“Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told” (Habakkuk 1:5).
God was already at work and about to do something in his perfect timing. In response Habakkuk takes a position of watching to see what the Lord was about to do. Habakkuk waits patiently not knowing all that God was about to do.
“I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint” (Habakkuk 2:1).
Habakkuk was going to wait upon the Lord. We need to do the same. Let’s not run ahead of God, but rather look to him in faith.
Habakkuk waits for God’s plan and timing. At times, the wait is longer than we would like.
“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3).
In other words, everything has an appointed time. The Lord tells Habakkuk wait for it; you will see. God’s justice will prevail. The righteous will prevail even if it appears not to be the case right now.
Habakkuk did not know what was about to happen before it was time for him to know. The same is true for us today and every generation. But be assured that God is in control and loves you with an everlasting love.
We will not know the timing regarding what God is going to do, but we can know without a shadow of doubt, God is about to do something. He has a plan, and everything will happen according to his timetable and not before.
Faith is the Key!
Understand, we do not know the day or hour Jesus will return, not even the angels know that. But you can be sure Jesus is returning for you, his church, no matter how things may appear (Matthew 24:36-42). This is where faith comes in on our part.
The last part of Habakkuk 2:4 is the key message of Habakkuk: but the righteous will live by his faith.
Faith brings victory.
Faith is key to waiting upon the Lord.
Faith is key to trusting the Lord no matter how things appear in the natural.
Faith is key with regards to believing the righteous will prevail and that the unrighteous will receive their just reward.
In Hebrews 11 we are told that faith is the key to pleasing God (Hebrews 11:6); Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab and many others all lived by faith. Also, the walls of Jericho fell by faith.
Consider these five warnings
The knowledge of God will be made known to all the world. The truth of God will be seen by all. The glory of God will be made known and no one will be able to deny it.
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).
This verse speaks to the time after the battle of Armageddon, where the enemy is defeated. In chapter 2, God lists five warnings for us to quickly consider; areas that will see the judgement of God one day.
Here are the five warnings for us:
Woe to him who steals, lies, and cheats and makes himself wealthy by extortion (Habakkuk 2:6).
Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain (Habakkuk 2:9).
Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime (Habakkuk 2:12).
Woe to him who gets people drunk so he can gaze on their naked bodies (Habakkuk 2:15).
Woe to him who worships wood or stone as if it is alive (Habakkuk 2:19).
These five woes cover every type of sin and rebellion that is directed towards God and his people.
Will you trust God today?
Then in chapter three we find the prophet’s response to all God has said. Habakkuk asks the Lord to show himself strong once again and make known the power and majesty of God, display wrath and show mercy.
“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2).
The prophet concludes his letter with a word of hope and inspiration while, in the natural, there is no sign of blessing or fruitfulness in the near future. Even in a time of need and the storerooms are empty, yet he proclaims he will rejoice in the Lord, God his savior.
“I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments” (Habakkuk 3:16-19).
What about you? Will you choose to wait patiently for God to answer as you wait for the rent money, or those test results, or that job interview, or anything other anxiety you’re facing? Trouble is all around and there is no way for you to do anything to change it.
Habakkuk cries out to God. Habakkuk waited upon the Lord and in faith he made a choice trust the Lord. Habakkuk, in faith, chose to look beyond the physical need, beyond the seeming impossible situation, beyond the immediate circumstance, beyond any present fear of attack and lack of resources.
Habakkuk trusted the Lord in faith. Knowing the mighty deeds of God, he trusted the Lord to make his glory known. Habakkuk ends with declaring that the sovereign Lord is his strength and because of the Lord, Habakkuk can climb to the highest heights and live spiritually victorious over anything that may come.
Let me suggest that Habakkuk did not come to this understanding overnight. He pressed in and sought the Lord. Over a period, Habakkuk learned to walk in faith as he focused on God his savior. Habakkuk believed and knew in his heart the faithfulness of God and what God had done he would do again. Habakkuk asked the Lord to make known the power of God known in his day that the power and majesty of the Lord be made known, to all the world.
We need to learn that all things will work out for the glory of God. In his timing, not ours. Let us choose to pray in expectation and faith. Let us learn to wait upon the Lord and not become impatient.
God will certainly come to your aid in his timing, even if it seems to not be the timing you think it should be. God is never late.
Read the word of God. Know the promises of God are yours. Let the word of God saturate your heart. Let the knowledge of the truth and power of God strengthen your faith to believe all things are possible and that no matter how things may appear in the natural, God is able. He will deliver, strengthen, and save you.
Remember, along life’s journey there are two roads. One road will lead to God and the other leads away from God. A road of faith and a road void of faith. A road headed towards righteousness and the other headed towards unrighteous. A road that leads towards eternal life and the other that leads to eternal death and punishment. A road being lit by the presence of God and the other is ruled by sin and darkness. A road that embraces the wisdom of God and the other that follows the wisdom of the world.
Choose the road that leads to God. Walk by faith and in the light of the gospel. Be assured God is just, faithful, and true. His timing and purpose are perfect.
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