What Do You Do on Dark Days?

Habakkuk 1-3

The prophet Habakkuk wrote in a time of national calamity. Everything not nailed down was coming loose, and the devil was pulling nails as fast as he could. We live in a day just like it: anarchy in the nations, apostasy in the churches, apathy in many hearts, and we wonder “why?” What do we do in uncertain times when it seems like we’re looking down the barrel of a loaded canon? 

We’re asking the same questions Habakkuk asked many years ago: In all this trouble, where is God? Has He lost control? Does He just not care? Frankly, this causes many people to stumble.

Habakkuk’s three short chapters can comfort and inspire even in these dangerous times.

Habakkuk’s Distress - Chapter 1

Habakkuk loved his land and wanted God’s glory. Yet conditions were deplorable. Habakkuk was distressed by Heaven’s seeming silence. He cried out, “God, where are You? How can You let all this happen?”

Today, like ancient Israel, our nation has lost its moral compass. Habakkuk was praying, and believers today are praying. We stain Heaven with our prayers, but things seem to be getting worse. Some people are losing their faith. They say, “Why doesn’t God do something? Why doesn’t He answer prayer? Where is He?” But our faith isn’t based upon what happens.

God allowed Habakkuk to pour out all his frustration about God to God Himself. Habakkuk was frustrated and God listened.

Faith doesn’t live by explanations but by promises. 

Put your faith in the fact that God is king evermore. Faith keeps us going in dark days. If we want a better land, we must live and walk by faith.

A new perspective - Chapter 2

Habakkuk got alone with God, who gave him not an explanation, but a vision. In His providence, God has promised that all the Earth will be filled with the knowledge of His glory (See Habakkuk 2:14.) and He is present and in control (See Habakkuk 2:20.).

In these desperate days, every child of God needs to get quiet in His presence, listening for what He says. Habakkuk didn’t have to wait long. He came away with one of the foundational pillars of Christianity: “the just [righteous] will live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).

Faith doesn’t live by appearances, but by providence.

If you get your faith from what you see going on around you, you’ll be riding a roller coaster all the time. Faith is all that will see us through, the only force that can change anything.

Profound praise - Chapter 3 

Habakkuk began to praise God, not because circumstances had improved, but in the midst of a dark day, he began a “nevertheless” praise to God.   

Faith doesn’t live by circumstances, but by praise.

Whatever happens in our nation and our world, the Bible says you can rejoice in the Lord. Habakkuk comes to this conclusion, and this is where we must arrive and anchor our souls:

…Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills (Habakkuk 3:18-19).

God never did answer “why.” He just said, “I’m going to reveal Who. Me.  I am your strength! I will make you like a sure-footed gazelle, and you can live on high places.”

Habakkuk’s book was written “for an appointed time.” I believe it was also written for today. What do you do in dark days? Don’t let today’s circumstances steal your joy. Keep on singing, praising, believing, loving. Our God reigns! “And the just will live by his faith.”

Remember God’s glory.

Habakkuk was asking for reasons, but what he got was revelation: we don’t need to know why; we need to know who.

Rejoice in God’s goodness.

If your joy depends on anything that can be touched or tampered with, you have an unstable joy. Where does your joy come from? We’re going to praise God no matter our circumstances.

Rely on God’s grace. 

The Lord God is our strength (See Habakkuk 3:19.). We will live by faith (See Habakkuk 2:4.). Without faith, you have nothing to hold on to. 

The Bible makes it exceedingly clear: in the last days, perilous times will come. It will get worse; there will be chaos and turmoil. I want you to know Jesus Christ. Not know about Him. I want you to know Him and be able to say, “No matter what happens, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”