Habakkuk : Waiting on God for an answer

Series: Habakkuk

Sermon Title: Waiting on God for an Answer

Speaker: Sam Rainer

Date: March 30, 2025

 

 

Reflect

  1. When was a time you had to wait for something important? How did the waiting affect your attitude or choices?
  2. Have you ever looked back on something you really wanted, only to realize it didn’t bring the happiness or satisfaction you hoped for? What was it?

Encounter

  1. Read Habakkuk 2:1–3. What do you notice about the posture Habakkuk takes while waiting for God’s response? How might that shape the way we wait on God today?
  2. In Habakkuk 2:4, we see the phrase “the righteous shall live by his faith.” Why do you think this is considered a key verse in the whole Bible (also quoted in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38)?
  3. Review the five woes in Habakkuk 2:6–20. Which one stands out most to you and why? What do these woes reveal about pride, idolatry, and injustice?

Transform

  1. What are you currently waiting on God for? How can your waiting become a spiritual discipline instead of a spiritual struggle?
  2. How might our small group or church community better reflect the call to live by faith in seasons of waiting? What practical steps can we take together?

Additional Discussion Questions

  1. How does the concept of “faith that shines in struggle” resonate with your own experience? When has your faith been most visible?
  2. Which do you find harder: waiting patiently or trusting God’s timing? Why?
  3. If someone asked you for advice on how to wait on God, what would you say?

Interesting Facts and Tidbits

  • “Wait” in Hebrew (as used in Habakkuk 2:3) carries the idea of endurance and humility. It’s not passive—it’s an active form of strength.
  • The watchtower image in Habakkuk 2:1 is a powerful metaphor—like a lighthouse for ships or a tower in a fort. It gives both vision upward (hope) and vision downward (perspective).
  • Habakkuk’s honesty with God is part of faithful living. Asking “how long?” doesn’t show weakness—it shows relationship and trust.
  • Habakkuk’s message is a reversal of Babylon’s pursuit: they conquer to cover pride and fill emptiness. God invites us to lay down pride and be filled with His grace.

Related Passages

  • Psalm 27:14 – “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart…”
    • Reinforces the idea that waiting requires courage, not passivity.
  • Romans 1:17 / Galatians 3:11 / Hebrews 10:38
    • All quote Habakkuk 2:4, showing how foundational the idea of “living by faith” is to New Testament theology.
  • Isaiah 40:31 – “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…”
    • Offers encouragement that waiting brings renewal, not weariness.
  • Lamentations 3:25-26 – “The Lord is good to those who wait for him…”
    • A poetic reflection on hope and waiting during suffering.
  • James 5:7–11 – Encourages believers to be patient like the prophets and Job, waiting for God’s purposes to be fulfilled.
  • Matthew 16:25 – “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it…”
    • Ties directly into Habakkuk 2’s call to give up pride and self-reliance.

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