THANKSGIVING ON AN EMPTY STOMACH!

Pericope: Habakkuk 3: 17 – 19
Sermon Text: Habakkuk 3: 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Introduction/Context: “The average person ate 4500 calories on Thanksgiving Day. Most people ate turkey, stuffing, and sweet potato pie. Most people spent $365.34 while shopping on Black Friday. It is easy to say thanks when you have a full table, a full stomach, and money for shopping. What about when there is nothing?
In our text it is not the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but it is days before the Babylonians are about to take over Jerusalem and turn her full stomach into an empty situation. Due to the sin in Israel’s lifestyle, God has permitted the Babylonians to take over and has put a word into the mouth of Habakkuk. The situation is bleak and everything is about to change. Their reality is penned in verse 17 of this text. The trees and fields are barren; there are no grapes on the vines; no sheep in the pen or cattle in the stalls.
Yet, Habakkuk makes what seems to be an outlandish statement in verse 18.” I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”
How is he able to give thanks on an empty stomach? An empty stomach includes more than just food. It can be a situation. How do you give thanks when things are rough? When things aren’t going well that is when we need to give thanks the most. Habakkuk gives us a three step road map to giving thanks on an empty stomach.

Point 1: God gives me Strength to make it. Vs.19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength.
The first thing Habakkuk said was God was going to give him strength to make it. Notice he did not say stuff. Habakkuk realized that stuff could not help him. It could not offer encouragement in the time of trouble. Like the grapes or the fig, stuff can be gone with one move but strength is what will get you through. God will never keep his strength from you. He gives it freely. Even when you are in your most weaken state God will replace your weakness for his strength.

Isa 41: 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
2 Cor 12: 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This is a paradox. When you are going through things, you don’t feel like praising but the way you make it through is to praise. Don’t mistake having to feel praise to say it. If you say it long enough you will feel it.

Point 2: God makes my steps Steady on rocky ground.Vs. 19 he makes my feet like the feet of a deer.
The next thing Habakkuk said God would do is make his feet like deer. Habakkuk is trying to create a picture of a goat perched high on the edge of the mountain just by his feet. He has no thumbs and can’t grab the rock. His feet allow him to be steady and stand safely on the edge. When things are not well in your life, God will give you deer feet. He will make you able to stand on the edge and look over the cliff. Destruction will be on the other side, but you will not fall. When things go wrong in our lives, we tend to want to go to flat ground. We should however look to go higher. Your situation is taking you higher not down. It may seem a little scary and you may be afraid. It is ok to be a little afraid. As long as you let that fear causes you to go hard after God.
A story was told of Muhammad Ali being on a plane. As the stewardess asked everyone to fasten their seatbelts, he noticeably unbuckled his belt. When asked again to please buckle the belt he replied, “Superman doesn’t need a seatbelt”. The attendant replied,” he doesn’t need a plane either. “Don’t be like Superman. Buckle up around Jesus. He will take you through the situation to another dimension.

Point 3: This is not my last Stop. Vs. 19 he enables me to go on the heights.
This is not the end. It is not forever. There is an expiration date on your situation. It will end because your going higher. Give Him praise! Habakkuk had just been given a vision from God of a future world that was coming. Habakkuk has human emotions. Notice he raises life question in 1: 2 How long Lord must I call for help… and in 2: 2 God answers write down the vision and make it plain… Include the date you write it, songs, and scriptures God gives you. In time the vision will speak. You will NOT be defeated. It is not in the scriptures for believers. He will make all things right in his time.
We must express lament and praise. They complement each other. The things in your situation may not be good but it’s not to be denied. You can’t know the power of praise if it is denied. When you accept praise can take hold and take you the place you should be.
It is ok to question God. When you do it puts you on a quest.

When you are on a quest three things happen:
(a) you put demands on God. Include scripture in your demand. God responds to His word.
(b) you deepen your commitment
(c) you drive to a new level of living with/for Him.

Conclusion: Look at how Habakkuk ended his quest! vs. 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Frank Boreham, in one of his books, tells of a conversation he once had with a somewhat naive and Pollyannish woman named Jeannie. He said to her, “Jeannie, supposing. . . .” Before he could finish his question, she said don’t start that suppose stuff. When those thoughts come knocking at the door of my mind I just slam the door and I don’t answer it. While this may have been good worldly advice, Habakkuk had a better response. He said come on in because I am going to rejoice anyway. Suposes will come your way and you have to respond with a resounding , I will rejoice anyway!