When Life Fails To Meet Expectations

Church, never forget that God has a purpose for our lives and, if we submit to Him, He will help us achieve His purpose. But as we consider this text today, we would also re-mind you that, as merciful and as lenient and as patient as God is, if we abuse His mercy, there will come a time when patience runs out. That’s what happened with Israel, that’s what was happening with Judah, and in many ways it seems like that’s what’s happening with us today. Time after time, God had warned His people to live up to His standard or suffer the consequences of their choice, and the same thing is being said to us today.

God has a standard for his people—the Christ standard. The Christ standard is love without limit or restriction; the Christ standard is living a life that shows others that Jesus is in control; the Christ standard is doing for others what you would want others to do for you; the Christ standard is blessing those who curse you and doing good to those who hate you and praying for those who would use you and persecute you; the Christ standard is living by the Spirit and not gratifying the desires of the sinful flesh; the Christ standard is pursuing excellence in all that we say and think and do. And when we fail to strive to live up to the Christ standard, we test the patience of God. And if we’re not careful, His patience will run out. This same Paul who urges us to live by the Spirit also warns us, “Don’t allow yourselves to be fooled. God will not be mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”

Habakkuk had been a religious and a devout man, and it was inconceivable to him that God would allow such a people as Babylon to threaten the peace of Judah. Hear him question God, “How long will I cry for help when it seems as though You will not hear? Why are You silent in the midst of this sorrow?” Habakkuk becomes the voice of the godly man trying to understand the ways of God when life has not met expectations. But as we consider Habakkuk’s complaint, there are a couple of things that Habakkuk failed to take into consideration.

First, Habakkuk failed to consider that Judah’s trouble was Judah’s fault. Judah’s great sin against God was idolatry, and all the things that accompany idolatry. No one forced Judah into idol worship; no one made Judah reject the God of their fathers and embrace gods of wood and stone. They did that on their own. And when you invite trouble into your life you shouldn’t be surprised when trouble shows up.

Church, when life fails to meet our expectation, we’re often heard to ask God, “Why would You let trouble come into my life?” And I’m not insensitive to your situation— whatever it may be. But I’m compelled by the Holy Spirit to remind us that much of our trouble is our own fault. Much of our trouble is because we have turned away from the true and living God and followed after other gods. We’ve followed after the god of power; we’ve followed after the god of personal pleasure; we’ve followed after the god of wealth and prosperity; we’ve followed after the god of selfishness and greed; we’ve followed after the god of lust and temptation; we’ve followed after the god of sloth and laziness; we’ve followed after the god of anger and revenge; we’ve followed after the god of pragmatism and practicality. And when we abandon the true and the living God and follow after idols, then we shouldn’t be surprised when trouble arrives at our door.