When God’s Plan Is Different Than Mine

Introduction

Good morning. If you’ll open in your Old Testament with me to the book of Habakkuk. The book of Habakkuk. I have a couple of introductory comments, so that’ll give you time to find the book of Habakkuk. I’m thankful for everyone here. Their well wishes as Koshka and I traveled to Georgia this past week and weekend. We had a successful meeting, I feel, with the Roswell Church of Christ there in Roswell, Georgia. But one thing that Ken didn’t mention when he was talking about the great role that women play is that Ken and I, if we’re being really honest, know the truth. We know why both of us are allowed to preach the word of God here at South Bumbi. Because it’s the only way that you could get Kashka and Deedra to be here every Sunday.

They weren’t too happy when Kashka came home on Monday from the meeting and they were stuck with me through Thursday night. But that’s understandable and relatable, is it not? No one. Oh, a one amen. But there’s always that guy. There’s always Ken who ruins it. But in the book of Habakkuk in chapter one, you have one of the most relatable of the minor prophets. I love studying the minor prophets for two reasons. One, just studying them usually is a benefit because we don’t study them as often. And so, whether or not I’m particularly effective in illuminating God’s word this morning, I hope that you’re exposed to a source of God’s word that you may not read otherwise or may not know as much about. And there’s certainly benefit in reading through the whole council of God.

But secondly, there’s something about the minor prophets that’s fascinating to me, is how relatable both the prophet and the people are to our day and time. Certainly that’s no mystery that the word of God is relevant and that God knows what we need because he inspired the word to be there. But as we consider Habakkuk in chapter 1, I want you to note that Habakkuk is dealing with God’s people. And if we know anything about Israel from the Old Testament, we know Israel and faithfulness to God was quite the tall order. Sometimes they were very faithful, and God would bless them for that. And then other times they were very unfaithful, and God, as He promised, would punish them for that. We see Israel goes into Assyrian captivity, and Habakkuk is dealing with Judah.

And readeth me in Habakkuk chapter 1, beginning in verse 2. O Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not hear? Or cry to you violence and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity? And why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me, strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. The wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth perverted. Habakkuk says, God, I have a problem. He said, I am prophesying in and around your people, and they are wicked. They’re guilty. They are unrighteous. And not only are they wicked, guilty, and unrighteous, God, I don’t see you doing anything about it. In fact, if you look at verse 2, how long will you hear my cry?

I’ve talked to you about this. I’ve reached out to you about this issue. Justice goes forth perverted. They’re not being punished for their wrong. We might say this is kind of like the age-old discussion why do the evil prosper? And why are the good stamped down? Why is it that the wicked surround the righteous? I love this story. I love the minor prophet book of Habakkuk because Habakkuk is a lot like us. We like to think that we’re the ones who understand God’s word. We certainly, like Habakkuk, have the word of God, which is amazing. But what you have in the story of Habakkuk is he’s going to reach out to God and he’s going to say, God, why is this happening? Will you do something about it?

And God replies. Now the truth of the matter is we know that we ought to be careful what we ask for. And there’s that message too. But as we go through this, I think there’s a lot of application to us because what we’re going to see is Habakkuk’s plan and God’s plan were two different things. There were some similarities, yes. Habakkuk was right that justice was going forth at the moment, perverted, but that his plan and God’s plan weren’t the same. What do we do when God’s plan is different than our plan? What will I do when I say I should go left, and God’s will tells me that I need to be going right. We’re going to learn some lessons from Habakkuk this morning. First and foremost, you’ll see that he’s questioning God specifically about God’s people.

You see in verse 2, O Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not hear, or cry to you violence, and you will not save.

So let’s get this very clear because it’s always great to feel like you’re a prophet, right? To say, we’re like the prophets. That feels good. In a moment’s going to feel less good. But for now, Habakkuk is saying, God, why are you letting this happen? Do something about it. The wicked are prospering. You need to stop it. Fair request, fair prayer, fair point. But read with me God’s reply beginning in verse 5. God tells him his plan. And his plan is going to be to do something about it. In verse 5, look among the nations, see, wonder, and be astonished. For I’m doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who marks through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.

They are dreaded and fearsome. Their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. Militarily, we would say in verse 8, their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves, their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar, they fly like an evil, swift to violence. They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. At kings, they scoff. And at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. Then they sweep by like the wind and go on. Guilty men whose own might is their God. A lot of interesting things about that. But go back first with me to verse five. Remember, Habakkuk says, God, why aren’t you doing anything about the injustice, the wickedness, and the unrighteousness happening in Judah?

God says in verse 5, I have a plan. What is that plan in verse 5? Look among the nations, see, wonder, and be astounded. I am doing a work in your days. Verse 6, what am I doing? Behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans. I’m going to send the Babylonians to punish the people of Judah for being guilty of sin. But in verse 5, note that last phrase. This is important. God even tells Habakkuk the prophet. He says, I am doing a work in your days that you would what? You would not believe even if I told you. That’s going to be a critical point for us to remember. When God’s plan is different than my plan, we have to remember we don’t hold all the cards.

It might be kind of like trying to do a puzzle without the box. Or maybe even in our case, doing a puzzle without 25 pieces. Maybe doing a puzzle without 250 pieces. You know, if we’re honest, the part of the puzzle that we understand, even living a full life, is just a decimal point of a percentage compared to what God knows and understands about how life should be. And God says, Habakkuk, you’re right, I’m going to do something. Judah is guilty. Verse 6, I’m going to send Babylon to punish them for their guiltiness. But let me just tell you, Habakkuk, I know. Even if I told you my plan, if I revealed it to you in its entirety, you would not believe me. And if we’re like Habakkuk, we might be thinking, okay, well, try me.

And God does. And notice, by the way, in verse 7 how God describes Babylon. This is going to be important in a moment. Because God says, look, Babylon is dreaded and fearsome. Stop the reading for a moment. Was Babylon dreaded and fearsome? Yes. Their military might rolled over their section of the world. They ruined all kinds of fortresses. In fact, you look at verse 10. At kings they scoff. They laughed at rulers. They laugh at every fortress, whether they do the end of verse 10, pile up the earth and take it. They were successful militarily. They ruled with an iron fist. But note something else God knows about them in verse 7. Their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. Verse 11, the last phrase they are guilty men whose own God is their own might.

Does God think Babylon is a righteous nation? No. Does he see that they are a powerful nation? Yes. And he is going to use them. But that becomes important because remember, we’re like Habakkuk, and Habakkuk says, God, will you do something about guilty Judah? God says, I will do something about guilty Judah. And we read in verse 12, you know what Habakkuk says? God, why are you doing it this way? I wanted you to do something, but not that way. I want you to do it a different way. Verse 12, Habakkuk replies, are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, the holy one? We shall not die. Or you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. You who are of purer eyes than to see evil, and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. He brings all of them up with a hook. He drags them out with his net, he gathers them in his dragnet, so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet, for by them he lives in luxury and his food is rich. Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever? I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower and look out to see what he will say to me and what I will answer concerning my complaint. I think this is interesting because Habakkuk says, wait a minute. I ask you to do something about Judah.

And I know you told me you’re going to do something about Judah, but I didn’t mean that. I don’t like that plan, God. I want you to do something, but do it the way I want you to do it. Do it with the people I want you to do it with. In fact, what is his specific complaint against Babylon? Well, in verse 13, he says, God, you should know better than this. What are you, God? You are holy. You are righteous. Verse 13, you are a purer eyes than to see evil. How are you letting this happen? What is the monstrosity he’s letting happen? Look at the end of verse 13. How is it, O holy God, that you remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

In a nutshell, Habakkuk says, God, I don’t like your plan. Because Babylon’s more wicked than Judah is. Remember, what was Habakkuk’s root problem? Judah is guilty and wicked. You need to do something about it. God says, I’ll do something about it, I’ll send Babylon. And Habakkuk goes, wait a minute. That’s not fair. That doesn’t make sense. That’s not right. God, how are you going to use people more wicked than our wickedness to punish them? How can you, a good holy God, idly look at traitors and remain remain silent while man swallows up man more wicked than they? As we think about this, then we realize now in the unflattering view, I am Habakkuk. It’s great in chapter 1 and even leading into chapter 2, that Habakkuk is reaching out to God and he says, I have a complaint, and it’s on the basis of holiness and righteousness.

That is an awesome prayer that he knows and sees and is praying for the righteous to no longer be oppressed by the wicked. But too often I’m like Habakkuk when even God gives me an answer. If it’s not what I thought, I kick back at it. Habakkuk certainly knows God is the one who holds all the cards. That’s why he’s reaching out to him. That’s why chapter 1 and verse 2 he says, How long, O Lord, shall I cry for help and you not hear? I’ve been trying to get an answer on this. But notice whose problem was it? Was it God’s problem? Was he not seeing what’s happening? No. Was he not seeing that Judah was guilty? Of course he saw that. And about it says, Wait, Babylon’s worse than we are.

Did God not know that Babylon was sinful themselves? He sure did. Remember chapter 1 and verse 11? He called them guilty men, whose own might and strength is their God. He knew Babylon was guilty. He knew Judah was guilty. God isn’t bound by my logic or my reasoning. You know, when we say that out loud, it sounds so obvious it’s not worth saying. But when we live our lives, we look a lot like Habakkuk. And what he’s saying is, God, that’s just not right. But God assures him, beginning in verse 2, and I promise you we’re not going to read through verse 20. He promises him, I see Babylon, I see your complaint, and I want you to know what I say goes. Read with me in verse 2.

And the Lord answered me, write the vision. Make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time. It hastens to the end, it will not lie. I love this part. If it seems slow, wait for it. It will surely come. It will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as shield, like death, he never has enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples. Shall not all these take up their taunt against him with scoffing and riddles for him and say, Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own.

For how long and loads himself with pledges? Will not your debtor suddenly arise and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoiled for them. Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the people shall plunder you. For the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. You see then in verse 9 and in verse 12 the woes to the people. God tells Habakkuk, not only do I see Judah’s guiltiness, not only do I certainly see Babylon’s guiltiness, I want you to know when I say my plan is going to happen, it is going to happen. God cannot lie. He is faithful to his promises. In fact, in verse 2, he says, How sure am I?

1. Acknowledge That God Sees All and Knows All

Write it down. Verse 3, not only is it going to happen, if it seems to you like it’s taking a long time, wait for it. It will surely happen. And so what he’s telling Habakkuk is, I need you to have faith. I need you to trust that even though you don’t like my plan, even though you don’t agree with my plan, that I have a plan, my plan is best, and my plan is what I’m going with. I think that’s interesting, because when God’s ways are different than mine, when his plan is different than mine, I reach a crucial point where I will either turn to him or away from him. Consider with me, first of all, if we are going to rightfully choose God in a time where we’re tempted and tried to do it our own way, to step out and say, even though I would never say this out loud, my way is better to live out that confession.

We have to acknowledge that God sees all and knows all. Did you know? Go back to chapter 1 and verse five. God starts his response to Habakkuk with this. I find that fascinating. He could have just told Habakkuk, look, I have a plan. I’m going to send Babylon. They’re going to punish you, and we’re going to move on. I’m fulfilling Deuteronomy chapter 28. I’m fulfilling the promises I’ve made for generations to the Israelites that if you do not obey me, if you act wickedly, if you corrupt justice, I will punish you. But that’s not where God starts. Look in chapter 1 and verse 5 again. He says, Habakkuk, look among the nations, see, wonder, and be astounded. I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.

He tells Habakkuk something I need to learn. He says, you have to not just know intrinsically, know as some sort of logical fact, that I see everything that’s happening, I know everything that’s happening, and my way is truly best. You don’t have all the pieces, Habakkuk. I think it’s pretty easy for us to see this concept. If we look at anybody who comes to us with one side of the story, and it’s usually about a couple who’s fighting, what do they always say? There’s not two stories, there’s three parts to every story. There’s one side, there’s the other side, and then there’s what actually happened. We often look with our one side, with our puzzle pieces, and we say, God, why is this happening? Or God, why is your plan like this?

I don’t understand. This isn’t fair. In fact, not only do I not understand, not only is this not right, but you’re allowing wickedness to prosper. Why are you letting the bad guys win, God? But then we have to remember, God sees that. God knows what’s happening. And did you notice that God wasn’t just in control of his people Judah? Who else was he in control of? Verse 6, Behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans. Even that mighty, evil Gentile nation. God was in control of. We have to know that God knows all, sees all, and has the perfect plan. Look at me in Psalm 139, at the 139th Psalm. If you’ll read with me, we are going to read a little bit of this. If you haven’t read this Psalm, I know that we’re going through the Psalms.

Read it again this week. Read it again when we get to it, when we get through it. Read it over and over. Psalm 139 and verse 1. O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path in my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your spirit, or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there.

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night, even the darkness is not dark to you. The night is bright as day, for darkness is as light with you. Verse 13, for you formed my inward parts. You did in me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. I hope it stands out to you, by the way, that verses 13 through 16 show us not only is God in control of our lives, as we might call it, adults or children, but that God cares for the lives of the unborn. I hope we see that in verses 13 through 16 and know that every life has a soul, and every soul, verse 14, is fearfully and wonderfully made by the Lord. But when we see God, and we know that his plan is perfect, and yet I, like Habakkuk, question it, what do I have to lean back on?

Well, look with me again at verse 6. Such knowledge, what knowledge? All that you know, that you, God, know everything from the beginning and for eternity. You are God, I am just man. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. Do you see the attitude adjustment there? It’s one thing to reach out to God like Habakkuk did and say, God, there is guiltiness running amok. The guilty, the the unjust are winning, God. It’s another to say that I’m on par with God’s knowledge. We know from 1 Peter that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. As we consider his words here, he says at the end of verse 6 Your wisdom, your knowledge that’s too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain it.

The decision to trust in God when our paths differ. Can I tell you a secret about it? It often needs to be decided before we get to the moment of crisis. Do you realize how many problems and temptations and struggles we could get through if we had decided before how we would act? You’ve heard it said once, you’ve heard it said a million times. If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. As Christians, we know temptation is coming. We know that I will sometimes think I have a different plan or I have a different way. Decide today that not only do I know God sees all, not only do I know God knows all, but that I will submit my way to his because it’s better, it’s righteous, and that’s what God wants from me, his created child.

2. Turn to God, Not Away From Him

Decide today. Secondly, turn to God, not away from him. I think this is a powerful testimony of Habakkuk. Think about Habakkuk for a moment. He is a prophet of God. We didn’t read verse 1, but he was receiving this vision, this oracle from God. And it’s amazing that Habakkuk has a problem. And do you know what he did with his problem? Even when he disagreed with how God was handling it? He took it to God. In the midst of his crisis, in the midst of looking around saying, Why are the evil prospering? Why are the good being stamped out, God? He says, God, I am calling out to you. Go back to chapter 1 and verse 2. Notice what he says. How long will I cry for help and you not deliver?

Necessary implication is I’ve done what? I have been calling out repeatedly. I think an amazing example from Habakkuk is he never gives up. Do you see that? When he sees a problem, he didn’t say, Well, this is God’s fault. God’s not helping me. Why isn’t God doing anything? He says, I’m going to take my problem to God because I know he is in control. And do you see how you get the first point down that God is in control? He does see all. He does know all. That then in my time of trial, my time of temptation, I turn to God instead of away from him. Do you see the temptation when my plan is different than God’s to turn away and to say, maybe God’s not the righteous God I thought he was?

If God’s really all loving, why isn’t he doing anything about my situation? Why don’t I have the job that I should? Why is my family treating me the way they are? Why is the church not doing what I think they should be doing? You need to remember that not only is God’s plan better than our plan, it’s predicated on better wisdom. In Isaiah chapter 55, verses 8 and 9, we learn something crucial. What is the difference in God’s wisdom and ours? For God’s ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, says the Lord. Do we really live out what that verse means? Because if so, it would cut down a lot on the discouragement and the pulls away from our loving God.

Because if we’re honest, when we think that there’s something that should be different in our lives, don’t we tend to either embrace God or slink away from him? When you are being tempted and tried, when you don’t understand why life is happening the way it is, let me ask you one simple question. Do you find yourself praying more in frequency and openness? Or less in frequency and openness? How we answer that question will determine if we can fulfill the words of Hebrews chapter 12 of running the race with endurance, casting aside the sin which clings so closely. We have to turn to God in times of trial. And you know what’s amazing about our God? As we said two weeks ago, our God wants us to turn to him.

He answered Habakkuk, he has a plan. That is amazing that God cares about us enough to where the answer is tell the creator of the universe your problem and dilemma. I think that’s amazing. Do you think that any of our elected officials really want to hear how my day went today? Do you think they want me to call them and say, you know what? I really think that I’m getting an unfair shake with my friends today. Can you do something about that? Will you listen to me vent about that? But our God, who created us and the others involved in the dilemma, cares for us. That is amazing. And when we’re going to struggle, decide today, not only that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and that we should trust and submit to him, but decide today that when I am in tough moments, I will turn to God, not farther from him.

3. I May Not Always Love God’s Plan

Thirdly, when you look at the book of Habakkuk in chapter 1 again and verse 12, we learn something, I think uncomfortable. I think perhaps the most important point I can make this morning, other than that God’s ways are so much better than ours, is that I will not, with my limited understanding, with my little bit of puzzle pieces, may not always love God’s plan. Habakkuk didn’t love God’s plan. And if you look with me in Jonah chapter 1, you’ll see somebody else who really didn’t love God’s plan. Look at me in Jonah chapter 1. Of course, we know the story of Jonah, and we know that he did not love God’s plan so much so in verse 1, the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amitai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.

But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshus from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshus. So he paid the fairy and went down into it to go with them to Tarshus away from the presence of the Lord. God said, Jonah, Nineveh, this great, powerful, evil city, needs my good words. They need to repent. And I want you to go be the one to teach them to repent. And Jonah goes, uh, no, pass. No, thank you. Do you think Jonah loved that plan? No, and of course he continued to pout later in chapter 4, but that’s not what we’re going to focus on. The focus is, Habakkuk and Jonah, both prophets of the Lord, God said, Here’s my plan, and they go, no, that doesn’t do it for me.

Can I kind of step on some feelings this morning? There’s a sense in which God doesn’t really care how much I feel about his plans. He cares if I obey him, if I love him enough to trust him, and he certainly cares and is a jealous God that if we choose to put something before him, but God’s plan, God’s will doesn’t change because I don’t like it. God’s plan doesn’t change because it makes me uncomfortable. I can tell you, God’s plan doesn’t change because other people are evil either. Where was Jonah to go? Even what God recognized in verse 2 to the city of Nineveh, whose evil has come up before God. Did God know that Nineveh was evil? Yes. Did he know that Nineveh was scary?

That they were steamrolling people in their own right as the capital of Assyria. Yes. But what did God also know once Jonah finally got there in chapter 3? What happened when Jonah said to repent, or you will be destroyed? They repented. We would look at Nineveh and we’d say, there is not a chance they will repent. Could you imagine if God said, hey, I want you to go preach in New York City? I think they’re going to want to hear what you have to say. Uh what? Can you get somebody else? Jonah tried to flee from the presence of the Lord. Now we’re not that foolish to try to get on a ship to disappear from God. Though we treat him that way, don’t we? Remember that decision point earlier?

Do I turn to God or away from him? That’s what we do. We kind of slink away. We get detached from our brothers and sisters. We pray less, we read the Bible less, and we act as if we can hide away from God. But his commandments, his decree, his imploration stays the same. No matter how far Jonah went, what was God’s plan for Jonah? Go to Nineveh. Did it matter that he got on a ship? No. Did it matter that he got thrown into the sea? Not really. Did it matter that he was swallowed up by a big fish? No. God’s plan was Jonah, you need to go to Nineveh. And so my application is God doesn’t care if I agree with His plan. And as a Christian, I should agree with God’s plan because his plan is better than mine.

4. Learn to Wait on the Lord

And do you see why the seemingly very boring basic point of number one is so crucial now? If I have predetermined from reading the will of God that not only does God know what’s best for me, but he has proven that he knows what’s best for his people throughout time, for centuries, then I can know that when my plan is different from God, whether I agree or not, I trust in God and I act on faith. And that’s the difference in somebody who is faithful and someone who turns away from the Lord. I won’t always love God’s plan. But I do need to submit to my God who makes it. The truth is, I’m going to have to learn to wait on the Lord. Look with me at two final passages this morning.

Two final passages. Habakkuk chapter 2 again and verse 1. Notice as he says, Habakkuk has a good attitude. Even though he disagrees, another thing to learn from Habakkuk is not only does he question the Lord and be willing to hear. In verse 1, notice what he says. He says, I will take my stand at the watch post, I will station myself on the tower, and I will look out to see what he will say to me. Language translation, I’m going to wait to hear what God has to say. By the way, the last phrase is important too. And what I will answer concerning my complaint. Verse 2, the Lord said, Write the vision. Make it plain on the tablets. Verse 3 Still the vision awaits its appointed time.

It hastens to the end, it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it. It will surely come, it will not delay. That creates a problem for us. He says, if it seems slow, wait for it. But it’s going to come to pass and it won’t delay. How do we understand that? Not only do we need to learn that what God says goes, but that what God has promised, including about rewarding his servants, about faithfulness, about a place prepared for his children. Those are all real. It’s coming. It’s true. And so when I am tempted, when I am tried, when I think my way takes me left, and I know God’s way takes me right, I trust his way, not just because God is better, not just because he doesn’t care about it, whether or not I agree with him, but because I want to be with my God forever, and if I have faith, I know he tells the truth.

God is faithful. He is just, and he will not lie. Look with me in Lamentations chapter 3. I’m willing to say probably not too many people thought the lesson was going to go to Habakkuk in Lamentations this morning. Lamentations chapter 3, beginning in verse 22. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. What has God promised? That you can write it down and you wait for it because you know it’s worth waiting for and you know it will come to pass.

The steadfast love of the Lord never coming to an end. In 2 Peter chapter 3, Peter writes that there were going to be those who would come and say, God’s not going to come again. God’s not going to destroy the world. In fact, how do we know that? Because look around, the world’s still going on the way it always has, the way it always will be. Foolish Christians, do you really believe our God who hasn’t done anything in the last several years is going to come and do something now? Wait for the Lord. What he has promised, he is faithful to.

Conclusion

A God whose mercies will never end. Cast your life to the God who loves that deeply. Trust in the God who shows grace that profusely. Submit to Him, the only one who can show you mercy worthy of eternal life. It’s an amazing thing to serve an amazing God. But my way is different from His. I need to trust in my God because His ways are best. If you’re here this morning and you’ve never become a Christian, recognize that that steadfast love, that endless mercy, that wonderful outpouring of grace. That’s for Christians. That is for those who, when they have a dilemma, say, I’m not going to do my will, I’m going to do God’s will. And if you’ve never become a Christian, recognize you can take that step today.

You can have your sins washed away if you believe in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God. If you’ll confess Him not only as the Lord and Savior who was resurrected from the dead, but as Lord over your life, saying that His will goes, not mine. If you repent of your sins, like the people of Nineveh needed to do, and say, without God I am facing destruction and no hope, but with him I have a chance at eternity, praising my God. You can be baptized in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, because the steadfast love of our Lord abides forever. Maybe you are a Christian and you’ve doubted God’s path. You haven’t trusted in Him, you haven’t cast all your anxieties upon Him.

Know that He cares for you. He loves you. I love you. We love you. Please don’t leave this morning, not being in a good standing with God. If we can help you in any way, come forward as we stand and sing the invitation song.