When Life Doesn't Make Sense: Finding Hope in God's Attributes

Have you ever felt like you were flying blind through life's storms? When circumstances seem chaotic and God appears silent, where do you turn for hope? I recently got a kick out of something Pastor Miles said about the book of Habakkuk - he mentioned that "Habakkuk sounds kind of like a cat coughing up a hairball." But don't let the unusual name fool you. This small book in the Old Testament packs tremendous life lessons for anyone navigating difficult seasons.

Flying by Instruments, Not Feelings

Let me share an illustration that captures the heart of Habakkuk's message. When pilots are learning to fly by instruments only, they wear special glasses called "the hood" that block their view of everything except their instrument panel. Why? Because when visibility is poor, your body plays tricks on you. "You might feel like you're flying straight, but the plane is turning. You might feel that you're flying level... but you're actually descending." This reminds me of JFK Jr.'s tragic story. In 1999, even though "he was not trained to fly by the instruments, he still took off" in poor weather conditions. "He was flying by his feelings and not by the instruments," and sadly, he and his family lost their lives in the crash. That's really what the book of Habakkuk is all about. "When God does not seem to make sense, when God seems silent, when it appears that God is not being fair, you can look around and look at all your circumstances and you follow your feelings and you can lose your hope. But what God has taught this prophet Habakkuk is in those difficult times when life is cloudy, when the visibility is not very good, you've got to keep your eyes focused on God, on who God is, and on his attributes."

Understanding Habakkuk's Roller Coaster

Habakkuk lived during an incredible time in Israel's history - under King Josiah's revival. "In Second Chronicles, it says this was the greatest Passover that was ever celebrated in Judah's history, going all the way back to the time of Moses." Yet right in the middle of this spiritual mountaintop, God announced He would still judge His people using the Babylonians. Talk about a dip! "When you have a mountaintop experience, get ready. Satan knows you're on the mountaintop... And he's gonna do his absolute best to knock you off of that mountaintop down into the valley." The book of Habakkuk reads like a dialogue - "It's Habakkuk and his lines and then God and his lines... a conversation, a dialogue back and forth between Habakkuk and God." First Habakkuk complains about sin in the nation, then he complains about God's plan to correct it. Sound familiar?

Five Attributes That Anchor Our Hope

In Habakkuk 3:16-19, we discover how this prophet moved from fear to faith by focusing on five key attributes of God:

1. God's Providence - He Has a Plan

"O Lord, I've heard thy speech, and I was afraid... O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of years" (Habakkuk 3:2). God's providence means "he is using wisdom and love and care to direct everything going on in his creation." Nothing catches God off guard. "God never says, oops, God has a plan for everything. He is a sovereign king over the whole universe." When God revealed His plan to Daniel about future kingdoms and the coming Messiah, Daniel was so overwhelmed he passed out! But here's the comfort: "If he's in control of Kings and nations and the universe and the planet and the stars, do you think he can handle your life? In my life, of course."

2. God's Mercy - Hope for the Guilty

Right in the middle of pronouncing judgment, God reveals one of Scripture's most important truths in Habakkuk 2:4: "The just shall live by faith." "Even in the middle of God's judgment, he reveals to Habakkuk in this tiny little book, the whole plan of salvation. He reveals his mercy. The wicked sinner can be justified and forgiven by faith." As Jeremiah wrote, "It's of the Lord's mercies that were not consumed... His mercies are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness."

3. God's Power - Zooming Out from Our Problems

When Habakkuk describes God's power in chapter 3, he writes: "His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light" (Habakkuk 3:3-4). Sometimes we need perspective. I shared how flying to Hong Kong at 37,000 feet helped me zoom out from my tunnel vision on problems. "We flew over the North Pole... it is so bright. The ground beneath is white with snow. The sky is like, just like crystal clear blue... it's so peaceful. God in his power is protecting and overseeing all of that." But even that's tiny compared to our solar system, our galaxy, and the estimated "2,300 million galaxies" scientists have observed. Yet amazingly, "the God of the universe who is controlling all these things... told Moses in Exodus 33, verse 20... 'Thou, God seest me.' Isn't that amazing?"

4. God's Justice - He Will Make Things Right

"Thou didst march through the land in indignation. Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger" (Habakkuk 3:12). At first, using wicked Babylon to judge Israel seemed unfair to Habakkuk. But God assured him: "Don't you worry about it. I'm going to judge Babylon too." And He did - Nebuchadnezzar went insane for seven years, and later the Persians conquered Babylon. "God is a just God, who He is in the business of making things as they should be." We don't have to take revenge into our own hands. "Romans 12 says that vengeance is mine, saith the Lord."

5. God's Trustworthiness - Our Security in Christ

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength and he will make my feet like hinds feet" (Habakkuk 3:18-19). "Your salvation is secure. Nothing can take that away." The New Testament confirms this repeatedly: Romans 8 says nothing can separate us from Christ's love, John 10 promises His sheep will never perish, and Ephesians 1 tells us we're sealed with His Holy Spirit. "When you are saved, nothing, once you put your faith and trust in Christ, nothing... can separate you from the love of Christ."

Putting It Into Practice: Getting God in the Picture

So here's my question: "Do you have your nerdy little glasses? Do you have your hood on? What are you looking at in life? Are you in the dip? You want to get out of the dip? Put God in the picture." Just like I photobombed those kids' picture earlier, "God wants to photobomb your pictures. God wants to be in the picture." Every time you face uncertainty, remember these attributes:

• His Providence: He's in control with a perfect plan
• His Mercy: He offers forgiveness and new beginnings
• His Power: He's big enough to handle any situation
• His Justice: He will make all wrongs right
• His Trustworthiness: Your salvation and His strength are secure

"Life does not have to be a series of highs and lows, excitement, depression, fear and anxiety, or a great joy and exuberance... It can just be a slow, steady growth of your faith growing closer to the Lord." "Habakkuk got his eyes on God and he got out of the dip. Even in the midst of uncertain times when it seemed like God didn't make sense, he got his eyes on God." The next time life's visibility gets poor and you're tempted to fly by your feelings, remember Habakkuk's lesson: keep your eyes fixed on your instruments - the unchanging attributes of the God who sees you, loves you, and has everything under control.