PRAYER
Our main goal in this time together is to build relationships and learn to walk alongside one another in all that God has called us to be and do. Let’s start by praying for each other.
Does anyone have prayer requests or personal stories of how God has been moving in your life that we can celebrate together?
RETURN TO ME TOPICS
A Love That… :: A Mercy That… :: A Justice That… :: A Presence That… :: A Strength That…
THIS WEEK
We’re in a new series called Return to Me: The Heart of God Through the Minor Prophets.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at the bold messages of 12 prophets—names you might not know, but words that clearly show God’s deep love and concern for His people.
This week’s message, When God Doesn’t Make Sense, takes us through the raw and honest questions of the prophet Habakkuk. He doesn’t pretend to have it all figured out. He wrestles with God, and we’re invited to do the same. The good news? God doesn’t shut us down. Habakkuk’s story shows us it’s okay to bring our doubts and disappointments to God. He may not answer the way we expect, but He always gives us what we truly need: Himself.
To begin, let’s reflect on these questions:
What’s something lately that’s made you stop and say, “God, I don’t get it” or “God, this doesn’t make sense”?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SCRIPTURE
Have someone read Habakkuk 2:1-4 aloud. As you listen, notice any words or phrases that stand out, and ask the Holy Spirit to highlight something for you.
Habakkuk 2:1-4
1 I will take my stand at my watchpost
and station myself on the tower,
and look out to see what he will say to me,
and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
2 And the Lord answered me:
“Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay.
4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up;
it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Where are you God? Why have you let this happen to us?
An Honest Wrestling
While not much is known about the Prophet Habakkuk, we likely can relate to Habakkuk in some way.
The book of Habakkuk starts with bold questions, ones many of us have asked: “God, where are You? Why are You letting this happen?” He looks at the injustice around him and brings his honest doubts to God. And instead of shutting him down, God welcomes it.
However, the answer God gives Habakkuk doesn’t make a lot of sense at first. It only makes things more confusing. But that’s the point. God invites our honest questions, not just to give us easy answers, but to draw us closer to Him.
So if you’ve ever felt that tension of trusting God when nothing around you makes sense, you’re in good company.
Have you ever looked at what’s happening in the world (or in your own life), and asked, “God, where are You?” What was that moment like for you?
What’s your natural response when you feel like God is silent, or not answering how and when you hoped?
Why do you think God invites our honest questions instead of expecting us to have it all together?
When has God responded in a way you didn’t expect? How did that transform your view of Him?
What does it look like to bring your questions to God with a heart that’s open to His answer, even when it’s not what you wanted?
A Faithful Waiting
After bringing all his questions to God, Habakkuk doesn’t walk away. He leans in, fully and faithfully.
He gets honest, then chooses to wait, not in a passive way, but with expectation. Like a watchman on a wall, he stays alert, ready to hear whatever God says, even if it’s not what he was hoping for.
That’s what faithful waiting looks like. It’s trusting that God’s timing and reasons are better than ours, even when it’s hard to see.
And when God finally responds, it’s clear the vision is bigger than Habakkuk expected. It points us forward to the coming of Jesus, reminding us that the righteous live by faith, not by control or comfort, which determines the outcome or result.
So, even when life doesn’t make sense, we must remember that God is sovereign and still on the throne. So we wait—not perfectly, but prayerfully—trusting in who He is and what He’s promised. We continue to trust and believe that God is still in control and still working.
Verse 14 of Chapter 2 describes the earth as being filled with the knowledge of God’s glory. Where do you see glimpses of that now, even in a broken world?
What helps you stay grounded in God’s character when life feels unclear or unfair?
What does faithful waiting look like in your life right now? Where are you hoping to hear from God?
“The righteous shall live by faith.” What does living by faith, not control, look like for you in this season?
A Full Worship
By the end of his story, Habakkuk doesn’t get all the answers, but he does make a decision.
He chooses to worship, not because his situation is fixed, but because he knows who God is. Even when there’s no fruit, no crops, no signs of provision, he says, “Yet I will rejoice.”
This kind of worship isn’t about pretending everything’s fine. It’s about holding onto God when everything else feels uncertain. It’s a deep trust that says, “Even if I don’t understand, I know God is still good, and He’s still with me.”
That’s an honest, faithful, and full worship. Giving everything to God, not because life makes sense or we have it together, but because Jesus holds it all and carries us through.
What does it look like to say “yet I will rejoice” when life feels uncertain or disappointing?
Have you ever experienced a moment where worship felt more like a choice than a feeling? What helped you press in?
What helps you stay rooted in God’s strength when your own feels like it’s running out?
Is there something in your life right now that you need to surrender in full trust, even if you don’t understand it?
How does knowing Jesus holds everything, even what we can’t see, change the way you approach worship?
CLOSING THOUGHT
The book of Habakkuk doesn’t tie everything up with a neat bow, and neither does life.
As we read through what little is known about Habakkuk’s life, we understand that he begins with hard questions, wrestles with confusing answers, waits in tension, and ends with worship.
Not because everything’s fixed, but because he’s learned to trust the One who never changes, Jesus.
That’s the tension we’re invited to live in, too: bringing God our honest questions, waiting with faith when answers are slow, and choosing to worship even when we don’t understand.
It’s not always easy, but it’s real. And in that space, we discover that God isn’t just after our resolution; He’s after our hearts, returning fully to His own.
Let’s close in prayer: God, thank you that You see the things we don’t understand and the questions we’re still carrying. Help us trust You in the waiting, worship You in the unknown, and hold onto You when life doesn’t make sense. Give us faith to believe You’re still good, even when we can’t see the full picture. Etch Your love, nature, and vision on our hearts to fully trust in Jesus so that others can do the same where we live, work, and play until the day He returns. In His name we pray, Amen.