I saw a post by my friend Dennis Sy on the topic “When Bad Things Happen” (click here to see)
Since I was studying the same topic because I was speaking at our Victory Church in General Santos City, I thought I’d share with you my thoughts.
Don’t you wish that life was like John & Marsha (70’s), Iskul Bukol (80’s), Ok Ka Fairy Ko (90’s) or Home Along Da Riles (2000’s)? What do they all have in common? They are sitcoms that start an episode with a conflict but ends within 30 minutes with a resolution.
What do you do when bad things happen?
You’re a Christian yet your husband leaves you for another woman.
You are believing God for provision and yet you’ve sunken into greater debt.
You bring your kids to Kids church all their life and now your eldest is in drugs.
You prayed and fasted for healing and your situation actually has gotten worse.
You trust God for a lifetime partner but it seems like he hasn’t come yet.
What do you do?
Habakkuk did 3 things in the third chapter of his book which I’d like to share with you.
1. REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE.
Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deed, O LORD. (Habakkuk 3:2)
He must have heard of how God parted the Red Sea.
… how He provided manna for 40 years (maybe even a recipe book – 1001 ways to cook Manna)
… how He didn’t let their shoes wear out (better than Cole Haan or Nike)
… how He delivered the Israelites from the Philistines…
On and on and on and on….
Because of this, there was confidence to trust God for the future.
Ron Moore said, “To be able to trust God for the future, sometimes we have to go back and see what He has done in the past.”
2. ACCEPT WHAT GOD IS DOING.
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. (Habakkuk 3:16)
I can wait patiently for a blessing. I can wait patiently for an answer to my prayer. I can wait patiently for provision. But wait patiently for calamity to come? I don’t think so.
Habakkuk waited patiently because there was an understanding that though he couldn’t see what God is doing, he trusted that God knew what He was doing.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than yours. (Isaiah 55:8,9)
3. TRUST IN WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO.
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, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)
It takes faith to believe God for miracles. It takes huge faith to trust Him for breakthroughs.
But it takes a greater faith to believe God that even if He doesn’t answer, we can trust that He still is in control.
I call this “even-if-He-doesn’t” faith.
One final thought…
When bad things happen, my prayer is…
“Even if you don’t do what I want, I will do what you want.”
May it be your prayer as well.
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