1. I will rejoice!

2. We all have troubles from time to time. You know you’ve got trouble when....

3. * You call incontinence support and they put you on hold.

4. We all have troubles from time to time. You know you’ve got trouble when.... * You call suicide prevention and they put you on hold. * You see a 60 Minutes news team waiting in your office.

5. We all have troubles from time to time. You know you’ve got trouble when.... * You call suicide prevention and they put you on hold. * You see a 60 Minutes news team waiting in your office. * Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles.

6. We all have troubles from time to time. You know you’ve got trouble when.... * You call suicide prevention and they put you on hold. * You see a 60 Minutes news team waiting in your office. * Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles. * Your twin sister forgets your birthday.

7. We all have troubles from time to time. You know you’ve got trouble when.... * You call suicide prevention and they put you on hold. * You see a 60 Minutes news team waiting in your office. * Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles. * Your twin sister forgets your birthday. * You wake up to discover that your waterbed broke and then realize you don’t have a waterbed.

9. "One of the things God has impressed on me is that we are living at the end of human history as we know it. In light of this, He has given me some practical assignments. One was to be the Honorary Chair for the National Day of Prayer 2014. He gave me the message I was to deliver, which was from Joel 1...the Day of the Lord is at hand. It was a message warning that judgment is coming." Then she added these words: "Please be assured there is no other agenda in this initiative. This is not about promoting anything or anyone. This is all about calling God's people together to pray, before it's too late, and judgment falls on our nation."

11. Habakkuk

12. Once Habakkuk had established what he did know about God then it was much easier to cope with what he didn't know about the events around him.

13. For Habakkuk nothing has changed on the outside. Instead, Habakkuk had changed on the inside. Habakkuk

14. Habakkuk’s Response: From Fear to Faith Habakkuk 3

15. How did the prophet move from his initial worry and fear to a place of confidence, joy and praise? How did he get there when nothing around him had changed?

16. Prayer Habakkuk 3:1-2 (MSG) 3 1-2 A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, with orchestra: G OD, I’ve heard what our ancestors say about you, and I’m stopped in my tracks, down on my knees. Do among us what you did among them. Work among us as you worked among them. And as you bring judgment, as you surely must, remember mercy.

17. His one desire was that things be right according to God's plan, not comfortable according to his desires.

19. Vision-- After his prayer Habakkuk had a vision of God. Habakkuk 3:3-6 (MSG) 3-6 God’s on his way again, retracing the old salvation route, coming up from the south through Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Skies are blazing with his splendor, his praises sounding through the earth, His cloud-brightness like dawn, exploding, spreading, forked-lightning shooting from his hand— what power hidden in that fist! Plague marches before him, pestilence at his heels! He stops. He shakes Earth. He looks around. Nations tremble. The age-old mountains fall to pieces; ancient hills collapse like a spent balloon. The paths God takes are older than the oldest mountains and hills…

20. Habakkuk 3:11-15 (MSG) The Sun and Moon stopped in their tracks. Your flashing arrows stopped them, your lightning-strike spears impaled them. Angry, you stomped through Earth. Furious, you crushed the godless nations. You were out to save your people, to save your specially chosen people. You beat the stuffing out of King Wicked, Stripped him naked from head to toe, Set his severed head on his own spear and blew away his army. Scattered they were to the four winds— and ended up food for the sharks! You galloped through the Sea on your horses, racing on the crest of the waves. When I heard it, my stomach did flips. I stammered and stuttered. My bones turned to water. I staggered and stumbled. I sit back and wait for Doomsday to descend on our attackers.

22. What verbs do you see in these verses? What does this tell you about God?

23. If he did it before, he can do it again. These verses reveal two important things: 1. Utter defeat of those who oppose God. 2. God’s determination to do whatever it takes to deliver His people. Why is this important for us to embrace These truths?

24. Because many people have not found a God big enough for modern problems! If you had a bigger God, you wouldn’t worry As much. If you had a bigger God, you would be stronger in the moment of crisis. If you had a bigger God, you would be less tempted to compromise.

25. Testimony Now we come to the end of the book. First we see acceptance in verse 16: 16 I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us.

26. Second, there we see commitment. Verses 17-18 show us what faith looks like when life tumbles in around us: 17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, 18 yet I will rejoice in the L ORD ! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

27. What will be our Response? How will we respond if some such disaster comes upon us?

30. The last verse of Habakkuk is often overlooked: 19 The Sovereign L ORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights

33. I will rejoice!

34. References Praise the Lord Anyhow – John MacArthur When You Feel Like Quitting – Ray Pritchard