Sabbath: Trusting God’s Goodness
Read for This Week’s Study: Hab. 1:1-17, 2:2-4, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 11:1-13, Habakkuk 3, Phil. 4:11.
Memory Text: “‘For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea’” (Habakkuk 2:14, NASB).
Key Thought: We may not understand always why tragedy happens, but we can trust God, no matter what.May not understand always why tragedy happens, but we can trust God, no matter what.
After preaching about God’s abiding presence amid life’s adversities, a pastor was confronted by a woman who tearfully asked: “Pastor, where was God on the day when my only son died?” Reading a deep sorrow on her face the pastor kept silent then replied: “God was in the same place where He was on the day His only Son died to save us from the eternal death.”
Like us, Habakkuk witnessed injustice, violence, and evil. Even worse, God appeared to be silent amid it all, though He did ask Habakkuk to trust in His promises.
The prophet did not live to see the fulfillment of those promises; yet, he learned to trust in them anyway. His book begins with a complaint to God but ends with one of the most beautiful songs in the Bible. Like Habakkuk, we must wait in faith until the time when the world will be “filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 25.
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one thing is needed even in trusting in the Lord. A true relationship of love with him. Like a marriage vow. In sickness prosperity
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Jack, I am very impressed by your comment especially the example of marriage, it is true that our relationship with God should not exist only in good moments and when it comes to hard time we cease from him.
Thank God. But should we be like many usually do? No. Let's be strong in faith.
there are for sure moments in life that we question God..why this and that happen..we doubted His faithfulness in us..we feel so confuse...and this is one of our great challenges everyday on how we are going to hold on our faith in Him..
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Question: The last paragraph of the introduction part the prophet insist on waiting while trusting the Lord by faith until the time when the world will be “filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
When you read psalm 88:11 talks about if the good Lord has delayed to respond, in this case until maybe the response is useless.
should we still trust the Lord even if the destruction happen or is nearly to happen?
Anna, if we do not trust the Lord, what other choice have we?
I believe we cannot go wrong if we say with Job, "Though he kills me, yet I will trust Him." Job 13:15
Bible history brings us the story of Abraham who several times tried to do it his own way, with sorry results, until he trusted God even when He asked him to offer his own son as an offering. It was that kind of faith that made him the father of the faithful.
By the grace of God, you and I may exercise the same kind of faith.
There is no response which comes late because God is always on time and we must remember that everything works for the good to those who love Him. (Romans8) sometimes God will allow things we do not expect to happen even if we pray for them. John the baptist was be-headed in prison but Peter who had an unfinished business in terms of preaching was taken out of prison. In everything we should learn to give thanks (1Thessalonians5).
Faith involves taking God at His word even when it doesnt make any sense.
Was Jesus late in John11 to come and see His friend Lazarus? From a human perspective He was late but we realize that Christ was perfectly on time. I believe the death of Lazarus increased the faith of Martha and Mary. They were thinking that Christ was late BUT ALAS!
No response from God is late, He is always on time, ask the family of Lazarus!
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we hv to to trst the God no matter what.we hv to put our faith in Him we shud hold to Him til the end
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I think we should trust the Lords whether we understand the hows" whys" and whens" of a situation we must wait on the Lord and "feed on His goodness" just as the psamlist said. We must believe like job that "though he slay me" God still has "a plan for us" to give us a future and a hope just as Jerem bilieved.
Yes we should wait God's promises because GOD loves us and whatever happens God have a full control on them! GOD NEVER LIES!
I thank God for the Pastor's response towards the woman's question. Our situations don't remove God from His throne or change Him. He didn't stop the fire from burning,but He was there in the fire with them. Why? Simply because they trusted in Him completely. May we also learn to trust Him, both in good times and the bad,because the God of the good times,is still God in the bad. We need to trust Him more especially when it comes to evangelism, we seem to doubt God sometimes.
The prophet who had faith
The prophet of God took God at His Word even though it didn't make any sense judging by what was happening. This shows me greater faith. Faith is the evidence of things seen... Hebrews11:1. What made Abraham and the other patriarchs to be heroes of faith was believing God when it appeared impossible from a human perspective.
God wants us to have greater faith and without faith it is impossible to please Him. Hebrews11:6. Anything short of this is little faith and we also know that 'little faith' is 'no faith' (Matthew8:23-26) (Mark4:40). We must cry like the disciples in Luke17:5 that 'Lord increase our faith' so that we will be like this prophet who had faith.
Christ wants us to have faith when He comes again, that's why He asks in Luke18:8 that, 'nevertheless when the son of man comes again, shall He find faith on earth'
Thanks this lessons this week its so demanding to hold our faith to God, i had a lot of disastrous in my past life, but never complain to God...just go on to my life perhaps these are the punishment because we are not perfect and these happenings are the signs that Jesus will come soon.
Yogyog, I don't believe that disastrous things in our lives are "punishment" from God. Punishment is meant to give you what you deserve for the evil you have done, and God reserves that for the final judgment.
In the meantime, God watches over His children, ensuring that they are not tempted beyond what they are able to bear, through His strength. If we trust Him, He can turn our trials into stepping stones of character development.
One thing is certain in our day and time as in ancient times is that God allows situation to occur in order to draw us ever closer to Himself because once we allow the saving grace of Christ to fill our lives, we then begin to see evil for what it truly is and that it is not something that God desires for us, but rather uses it to work out His perfect plan for our lives.
I heard one minister say that..."all questions about evil, and all questions against the existence of God make one great assumption, that life has worth" (Ravi Zacharias-Watchman on the Wall).
Evil is never committed in a vacuum, but ultimately against mankind because man was created in the image of God (Gen.1:27). When mankind rejected God, in a sense, he rejected himself for no one who loves the Lord can do so and not love his fellow man and himself.
Sin, that it may be called sin (Rom. 7:8,13), needs an agent through which a final act can be carried out. This manifestation then needs a focus and once the act has been committed, evil has then been revealed whether openly or in secret.
Why are many of us repulsed by such open acts of evil (murders, crimes against humanity, the atrocities of war, etc.)? Because human life has value and can find the origin of such in its Creator. No matter what situations may occur in our lives to whatever degree, let us remember what Jesus said that if He was persecuted, we can not expect any less. However, we have a God that has overcome the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).
Tsuruoka, thank you for this very thought-provoking, philosophical reply.
I recommend that our visitors read it more than once, thoughtfully.
Thank you, Sister Anderson! I praise God for allowing me to be able to share these precious thoughts that only He provides. I also enjoyed your comments as well and I thank God for the insights He shares through you and others.
Question: Is there any difference between God's justice and human's?
Faith is our response to God's loyalty to us. His promises are many, his grace ample, his love abundant. We have experienced all these things since each of our times on earth began.
To attribute suffering to God is a grievous mistake.
Yes, as christians, we do not go to God with our own time-table. for his ways are not ours and our plans are always different from the Lord's,but He promises He has good plans towards each of us and in his own time, He faileth not, I feel this is where we get a little impatient and this totally crumbles our faith as well. We are also not promised answers to all that we see happening around us, so we should trust him totally because He has always good plans towards us and if the answer is 'NO', this should be appreciated.
Nicely put!! I can relate this leossn to my own my journey in life. Just when I think you get it down ..another bend in the road comes and I find out where I really am .and it's time to let go and let God again and again. Thankful the lessens taught me to trust HIM more and circumstances less. <3 Love your writings Nancy .keep um coming. <3