Habakkuk 3:17

"DANCING FAITH"

I. THE BLEAK SCENE.

A. Fig tree not blossom, no fruit on vines.

1. In an age when no canning or refrigeration.

2. Dried fruit was an important part of winter food.

a. Figs and raisins were two of the main fruits

dried.

b. No figs or grapes means long hard winter.

B. The labor of the olive shall fail.

1. From the olive they derived their oil.

2. They also could preserve them.

3. The land abounds with olive trees.

C. The field shall yield no meal.

1. The grain crops were basic.

2. The grain easily stored.

3. Bread was their true staff of life.

4. Even though the grain crops fail.

D. The flock be cut off from the fold.

1. Everyone had their own flock of goats and sheep.

2. Even to the present day the size of the flocks is the

measure of the Bedouin's wealth.

E. No herd in the stalls.

1. This just about completes the picture.

2. Without the goats and cows no milk.

F. No visible means of supply.

II. THE MAN OF FAITH'S REACTION.

A. "I will rejoice in the Lord."

1. Word in Hebrew: aw-laz.

2. Word literally means "Jump for joy."

B. "I will joy in the God of my salvation."

1. Hebrew word translated joy: "gil."

2. "To spin around under the influence of violent

emotion", "such as joy."

C. No wonder the world does not understand the man of faith.

1. No visible means of survival, and he is dancing in

rapturous joy.

2. I resent the doom and gloom tag often put on those who

speak on prophesy.

3. You don't see us climbing in a hole waiting for the

end. Jumping for joy.

III. HOW ARE THE GREAT EMOTIONS OF GREAT JOY EXPERIENCED IN SUCH BLEAK

CIRCUMSTANCES?

A. Faith is the key.

1. The man of faith takes God at His Word.

a. God has promised to supply all my needs.

b. My problems usually arise when I ask how?

c. It is not necessary that I know how.

2. The man of faith knows that God has resources he knows

nothing about.

a. Manna and quail in wilderness.

b. Ravens brought food to Elijah.

c. Old Chinese man.

B. Note the rejoicing is in the Lord and the joy is in God.

1. We look at our circumstances and we want to cry, we get

discouraged.

2. What does that tell me?

a. Don't look at my circumstances.

b. Look to the Lord.

3. Unbelief is the result of the loss of perspective.

a. They say Beatleguese is an extremely large

star, 415,000 miles in diameter.

b. Something as small as your hand can block your

view.

c. God's vastness and power are incomprehensible.

1. The heavens are the works of His

fingers.

2. He measures the universe with His span.

d. Something as small as a cancer can block your

view of Him.

1. When you are so close to your problem

and so far from God, God seems very

small.

2. The answer lies in getting close to

God.

4. One of the steps of Abraham's faith is, "He gave glory

to God."