KEEPING YOUR VISION IN TROUBLING TIMES
Scripture: Habakkuk 2
Preacher: Pastor Jahmel K. Robinson
Introduction
The Bluetooth Connection
One day I was at home playing music from my phone and I was jamming, having a jam session. Nobody was in the house. I was downstairs listening to Frank, Beverly, and Maze. I was jamming.
Then all of a sudden, my phone went silent.
I was confused because nobody else was downstairs. I thought, “Who messed with my phone? Who turned my phone off?”
I went and got my phone and looked at it. The music was still playing, but it was silent. There was no sound coming out.
So I decided to leave it alone and went upstairs.
When I got upstairs, I heard the music that I had been playing downstairs. I reached the top landing and my brother was there.
He said, “Is this your music playing through the speaker?”
I said yes.
He said he was wondering where the music was coming from because he had turned on the speaker, and all of a sudden the music started playing.
It must have connected to your Bluetooth.
THE CONNECTION WASN'T GONE
Sometimes in life, it seems like God is going silent on one level.
But the reality and truth of the matter is:
He is trying to connect with you on another level.
Sometimes when life gets silent, when it seems like you're not hearing from God, it is not that God isn't speaking.
God is trying to connect with you on another level.
When God is trying to get you to move up...
When God is trying to promote you...
When God is trying to push you into your destination...
When He's trying to push you into the plans that He has for you...
He needs a deeper connection with you.
Sometimes God will allow things on this level to go silent in your life so you can understand where the true connection is.
Your connection is not with your friends.
Your connection is not with your family.
Your connection is not with your job.
Your connection is not with your boyfriend or girlfriend.
The connection that you need is Him.
There are things in your life that will go silent. God will allow relationships to go silent. God will allow people to go silent.
Why?
To allow you to have a deeper connection with Him.
God wants a deeper connection with you.
So instead of getting mad and upset...
Instead of whining and bellyaching...
Ask God:
“How do You want to connect with me in this situation?”
“How do You want to connect with me in the midst of my trouble?”
“How do You want to connect with me in the midst of my trials?”
“How do You want to connect with me in the midst of my pain?”
God desires a deeper connection with you.
I. TROUBLING TIMES CAN MAKE YOU LOSE YOUR VISION
This is what Habakkuk is going through.
The prophet is living in troubling times, and it seems like God is silent. Habakkuk begins to complain. He brings a series of complaints, or charges, against God.
Habakkuk's Complaint
In Habakkuk chapter 1, Habakkuk is essentially saying:
“God, all this stuff is going on.”
“Your children are in bondage.”
“We're being held captive.”
“Things are going wrong.”
“They're treating us wrong.”
“The wicked just keep progressing.”
“And we're sitting here allowing the enemy to have a roof over us.”
“And it seems like You're silent.”
“God, we're here in this place and it seems like we have no direction.”
“It seems like we have nowhere to go.”
“And You're silent.”
CAN YOU RELATE?
Have you ever been in a position where God was silent?
There was so much stuff going on, and it seemed like God wasn't speaking.
It seemed like God wasn't giving you revelation.
It seemed like God wasn't talking.
It was just silent.
Have you ever cried out:
“God, I know You know what I'm going through.”
“I know You can see what I'm going through.”
“I know You can feel what I'm going through.”
“But God, why aren't You saying anything?”
Why aren't You saying anything about the enemies that keep trying to come after me?
Why aren't You saying anything about my condition?
Why aren't You saying anything about what I'm going through?
This is how Habakkuk was complaining.
But then Habakkuk makes a decision.
II. WHEN GOD IS SILENT, TAKE A STAND
“I WILL STAND UPON MY WATCH”
Habakkuk says:
“I will stand upon my watch, and watch to see what the Lord will say to me.”
After he finished complaining...
After he finished bringing his charges against God...
He said:
“I will stand upon my watch.”
Even though God was silent, Habakkuk took a stand.
He put himself in a position to receive the vision.
He put himself in a position to receive revelation from God.
After he finished praying...
After he finished telling God what He wasn't doing...
He said:
“I will stand upon my watch and see what the Lord will say to me.”
HABAKKUK REFUSED TO GIVE UP
Habakkuk was saying:
“Even though I'm going through this...”
“Even though I'm going through this mess...”
“Even though these are troubled times...”
I will take a stand and watch to see what the Lord will say to me.
I'm not going to give up on God just because times are troubled.
I'm not going to give up on God just because things aren't going my way.
I'm not going to give up on God because things aren't going well.
I'm not going to give up on God just because all hell is breaking loose.
I'm not going to give up on God because things aren't going the way I think they should.
But I will stand and watch.
ENCOURAGEMENT
Some of you may be dealing with trials and tribulations.
Some of you may be dealing with pain.
But guess what?
All you have to do is stand and watch.
Tell your neighbor:
“Take a stand and watch.”
You have to change your position.
And you have to change your disposition.
Watch the Lord work in your life.
III. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR GOD
Habakkuk said:
“I will stand and watch.”
That means Habakkuk was going to be on the lookout for what God would do next in his life.
He was waiting for God to make a move.
DON'T GIVE UP
Can I encourage somebody today?
Don't give up.
Don't throw in the towel.
You have to keep watch for what God will do in your life.
You've been about to give up.
You've been about to throw in the towel.
But I came to tell you this morning:
All you have to do is stand still and watch what the Lord will do.
Stand still and watch what the Lord will do.
Be on the lookout.
God is going to move.
God is going to come through.
God is going to deliver.
All you have to do is:
Stand and watch.
IV. PUT YOURSELF IN POSITION TO RECEIVE THE VISION
Habakkuk said:
“I will stand and watch and see what the Lord will say unto me.”
He put himself in a position to receive the vision.
When God is silent in your life, that doesn't give you a license to do anything you want to do.
You still have to be obedient to God.
You have to watch for what He will do.
THREE POSITIONS
Habakkuk put himself in position:
1. To Receive
He positioned himself to receive what God had for him.
2. To Observe
He was watching what God was doing.
3. To Listen
He had an ear for what God was going to do next.
You have to have your antenna up.
You have to be watching.
You have to be listening.
V. GOD CAN GIVE YOU REVELATION IN UNEXPECTED PLACES
Have you ever prayed about something and it seemed like you weren't getting the answer from God that you wanted?
You were just sitting there waiting for God to give you the answer.
Then all of a sudden, you're driving down 87...
You see a billboard...
And you say:
“You know what? That was a word for me.”
God will give you revelation in places where you think you can't receive revelation.
When God seems silent:
That's not the time to give up.
That's the time to become more observant.
You have to watch how God is going to speak to you in troubled times.
VI. RECOGNIZE THE PERSISTENCE OF THE VISION
Habakkuk 2 says:
“And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”
God tells Habakkuk:
Write the vision.
Make it plain.
THE VISION WAS BIG ENOUGH TO RUN WITH
The revelation God was giving Habakkuk was so large and so plain that somebody could run with it without breaking stride.
In those days, when messages were sent to different villages, they would send a runner.
The message had to be written big enough and plain enough so that the runner could read it while running.
The runner could catch the vision...
Read the message...
And keep running.
Don't break stride.
VII. KEEP THE VISION
So what is the vision God has given Habakkuk?
GOD WILL ULTIMATELY TRIUMPH OVER YOUR ENEMIES
That's the vision.
Even though it looks like your enemies are winning...
God will ultimately triumph over your enemies.
Even though it looks like people are winning over you...
God will ultimately triumph over your enemies.
That's the vision God wants you to catch.
He doesn't want you to break stride.
He doesn't want you to go off course.
He doesn't want you looking sideways.
He wants you to make the vision big enough to understand:
God will ultimately triumph over the enemy.
VIII. GOD WILL HAVE THE ULTIMATE VICTORY
You've been worried.
You've been complaining.
You've been praying.
You've been crying:
“God, how are You going to deliver me from my enemies?”
And God is saying:
“Keep the vision.”
The word for somebody is:
“I WILL ULTIMATELY TRIUMPH OVER YOUR ENEMIES.”
God will ultimately triumph over your enemies.
God will have victory over the people who persecute you.
God will have victory over the people who lied on you.
God will have victory over the people who talked about you.
God will have victory over the people who scandalized your name.
God will have victory over the things that attack your health.
God will have victory over the things that attack your finances.
GOD WILL HAVE THE VICTORY
Is anybody grateful that God will ultimately have the victory?
God will have the ultimate victory.
The enemy may look like he's winning, but the story isn't over.
Keep the vision.
IX. THE VISION MAY TARRY, BUT WAIT FOR IT
Habakkuk says:
“Though the vision tarry, wait for it.”
It may seem like it's not going to come.
But God says:
Wait for it.
Because it will surely come.
WAITING DOES NOT MEAN DENIAL
The vision hasn't been canceled.
The promise hasn't been canceled.
The victory hasn't been canceled.
It's waiting for God's perfect timing.
The word “tarry” gives the image of a lion waiting to pounce on its prey.
The lion is waiting.
It's watching.
It's positioning itself.
And when the time is right...
It pounces.
GOD IS ABOUT TO POUNCE
Can I encourage somebody this morning?
You think you're being defeated...
But God is about to pounce on your enemies.
You feel like you're not going to make it...
But God is about to pounce on your behalf.
God has victory waiting for you.
Victory is on the way.
X. JUST WAIT
I know it looks rough.
I know it looks bad.
But:
Wait.
All you have to do is wait for God to come through.
Wait for God to come through on your behalf.
Tell your neighbor:
“Wait.”
“I know, neighbor, it looks bad, but just wait.”
“I know it looks like you ain't going to make it, but just wait.”
“I know it looks like you're not going to make it to the next week.”
“I know it looks like you're not going to make it to the next level.”
But just wait.
Because:
God is about to come through for you.
XI. THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
Habakkuk says:
“The just shall live by faith.”
That's the key.
Everything I need...
As long as I have faith...
I can move.
As long as I keep my faith...
I can make it through the trial.
As long as I keep my faith...
I can make it through the circumstance.
As long as I keep my faith...
I can make it to the next level.
Although God seems silent...
Although it looks like God is not there...
All I have to do is keep my faith.
Keep my faith.
Keep making it from day to day.
KEY SERMON POINTS
1. GOD MAY BE SILENT ON ONE LEVEL BECAUSE HE'S CONNECTING YOU ON ANOTHER LEVEL.
The silence does not mean God has left.
2. WHEN GOD IS SILENT, TAKE A STAND.
“I will stand upon my watch.”
3. POSITION YOURSELF TO RECEIVE.
Watch. Listen. Observe. Be obedient.
4. KEEP YOUR VISION.
Don't let troubling times make you lose sight of what God said.
5. GOD WILL ULTIMATELY HAVE THE VICTORY.
The enemy may look like he's winning, but God gets the final victory.
6. WHEN THE VISION TARRIES, WAIT FOR IT.
The delay does not mean denial.
7. THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.
Faith allows you to keep moving even when you can't see the outcome.
PREACHER'S KEY PHRASES
“God wants to connect with you on another level.”
“When God seems silent, it is not the time to give up.”
“Take a stand and watch.”
“Change your position and change your disposition.”
“God is going to move.”
“God is going to come through.”
“God is going to deliver.”
“Keep the vision.”
“God will ultimately triumph over your enemies.”
“Victory is on the way.”
“Just wait.”
“The just shall live by faith.”
“Keep your faith.”
CLOSING ENCOURAGEMENT
You may be in troubling times.
You may not understand what God is doing.
You may not hear Him the way you used to hear Him.
You may look around and see the enemy progressing.
You may wonder why God hasn't answered yet.
But don't give up.
Don't throw in the towel.
Take a stand and watch.
Put yourself in position to hear God.
Put yourself in position to receive the vision.
Write the vision.
Make it plain.
Keep the vision.
And when the vision seems to tarry...
Wait for it.
Because God is not finished.
God is going to move.
God is going to come through.
God is going to deliver.
And ultimately...
GOD WILL HAVE THE VICTORY.
So when you can't hear Him...
Keep your faith.
When you can't see it...
Keep your faith.
When it looks like the enemy is winning...
Keep your faith.
When the vision seems delayed...
Keep your faith.
When life gets troubling...
Keep your vision.
And tell your neighbor: