“It Sucks To Be Me”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place
Pulpit Series Volume 16 Issue 43 11/26/2006

I was, I thought ready with this week’s message. However, as the week progressed - life became more complicated, I became more perplexed - and my message seemed irrelevant.

I felt more like preaching on Job then on salvation! However, the toughest part about preaching on Job is not the sermon writing, although that's challenging enough.

The toughest part is that there aren’t any good hymns or choruses that go with a sermon on Job. There’s a shortage of songs that go with the despairing, discouraging, “woe ways me”, “I’m ticked off” laments that these texts seem to require.

Even an old classic like “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” would get a “Yea Right!” response from Job. And as for "You are the Air I Breath . . ." I could just see Job telling the happy little praise band to stuff that up their amplifier.

Let’s face it folks when you are in the middle of it… it is hard to find songs that have the "my life sucks, but dang it I'll praise God anyway" feel to them. Perhaps, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen”, “Do, Lord” or “It’s Me O Lord”, would work.
There are in reality only two times to praise the Lord, when you feel like it and when you don't."
Habakkuk 3:17-18 Although the fig tree doesn’t blossom, nor there be fruit on the vines; if the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields yield no meat; even if the flock is cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The prophet Habakkuk wouldn’t have said what he did, except that he had known God as He really is--a being in every way worthy of confidence and unfailing trust.

He says, even though all temporal mercies are withheld and fail, he will yet rejoice in God. Though calamity of the severest kind should fall upon him and all around him, yet he will confide in God fully, and with the utmost assurance.

Psalms 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth

Any one can praise God after the devil has been defeated. Any one can rejoice in God on the other side of the Red Sea.

Let’s face it it is not too often that we know what God is doing in our lives. I’m not even sure if we need to know… we just need to trust Him….

Have you ever driven in a thick fog bank at night? Speed up and you could rear-end someone ahead of you. Slow down and someone behind you could run into you. With lights high, it reflects off the fog and you can't see. With lights dim, it is difficult to see very far ahead. In fact just the other day the fog was so thick that I passed Ralph’s place before I realized I had completely missed our road.

At times it seems to be that way in our lives. Disappointment, fear, anger, disease, betrayal, heartache - all cloud our vision.

We don’t know what we are accomplishing in life! But God would say, Don't stop, Don't quit, Don't even slow down!

God is seeing you through it - even when we can’t see.

Habakkuk 1:2-3 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and you won’t hear! How long will it be before you save me! Why do you allow me to see these grievous things? All around me are those that rise up strife and contention.


In Habakkuk’s emotion-filled questions before God, he needed God's embrace. Habakkuk's faith was strong even when he didn’t understand what God's plan was. The book of Habakkuk is a record of the prophet's troublesome questions and the answers he found.

We don’t always see God at work in our lives. Evil people seem to do so well, and good people suffer!

Habakkuk had two concerns in relation to this: Those who had the power were wicked. They sinned against the poor, taking what little the poor had. Living in violence and bloodshed. Wicked nations were swallowing up more righteous nations.

You are not alone in asking, “What is going on?” Jeremiah 12:1 Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? Psalm 73:3 I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked

Habakkuk's complaint had to do with unanswered prayer. Habakkuk 1:13. God, how can you being holy, look at those that deal treacherously, and not say something? How can you just standby and watch the wicked devour the righteous?

Is it wrong to ask God about things such as this? Is it wrong to get upset when the heavens seem so silent?

Have you ever wondered…
Why did it have to happen?
How could God allow this?
Why doesn't he do something?

What do you do when you come to the end of your road? (blast a new one?)
What do you do in times of despair?
What do you do when you don't understand why God seems to be moving so slowly?

Pray!
It has been said, that prayer is the Christian's breath.

Give your uncertainty to God!
In Faith believe God's answer is on its way. In Faith see that God is at Work!

It may sometimes appear that God is doing nothing, but he always acts in due time. (Daniel’s prayer 21 days)

"A man on his knees is higher than a man on a mountain."

The Scriptures encourage us to pray.
I Thessalonians 5:17 Pray continually. James 5:16 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

God is at work, Give Your Uncertainty to Him, and Praise Him!

Live by Faith. Habakkuk 2:4 but the just shall live by his faith.

Faith is tested when we have reason to doubt and when we bear heavy burdens.

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.


II Timothy 1:12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

It may not be so important that we know WHY but that we know WHOM!

Paul says I know in WHOM I believe. When you know in whom you believe you can handle the problems of life.

God never does explain why he delayed so long in answering Habakkuk’s complaint. God does however, show Habakkuk great grace in that He doesn’t rebuke the prophet for his complaint. God doesn’t even argue the accuracy of the facts as Habakkuk had laid them out.

But, in the final chapter of his prophetic writing is a Psalm with musical notations such as are found in the book of Psalms. The prophet closes his writings with one of the greatest declarations of faith to ever be found in biblical literature.

Although the fig tree doesn’t blossom, nor there be fruit on the vines; if the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields yield no meat; even if the flock is cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Too many people's faith is, "Lord, take care of me and I will take care of you." “Lord I’ll bless you if you bless me!”

In contrast, this prophet who raised some very searching questions in his early writings, declares that come the worst if it will, he will hold steadfastly to the Lord.
When faith is swept off its feet, it finds that it has wings.

I John 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, achieves the impossible.

Finally he writes The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me to walk on mine high places. Habakkuk 3:19

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