Reset Your Focus, Renew Your Faith (getting back to what matters) | Season 10 Ep 3

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SHOW NOTES:

Your focus can drift in seconds, especially when life feels unfair and God’s answers feel heavy. We sit with Habakkuk 1:12–17 as Habakkuk brings his second complaint straight to God and asks the questions many of us are afraid to say out loud: Why would a holy God allow wicked people to win? Why use an evil empire like Babylon to discipline God’s own people? 

We talk honestly about what it means to keep the lines of communication open with God when you’re disappointed. Habakkuk models something powerful: he understands what God says, still struggles with it, and still returns to pray. Along the way, we ground ourselves in core Bible basics about who God is. God is not the universe, not nature, and not an idol you can move around. He is the living Creator, sovereign over history, and worthy of trust even when the situation hurts. 

If your mind has been pulled by fear, outrage, or what you’ve “seen” online, this is a reset back to what we know about God’s character and our identity as his children. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs their focus restored, and leave a review letting us know what steals your focus the fastest.

Transcript

Welcome And Purpose Of The Show

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Hey all, thank you for joining us here at Grab the Faith, where we try to grab the faith and run with it. Join us as we try to learn a little more, grow a little more, and live a lot more. I'm your host, Bobby Gentry Goodwin. Stay tuned for this week's episode. Good evening, good evening, good evening, and welcome to Grab the Faith, the podcast where we grab the faith and run with it. How are you? How are you doing? I hope you have been having a wonderful week. And I thank you for carving out time just to sit with me to study the word of God. Whether you're tuning in via video, whether you're tuning in via audio, I just appreciate you being here. And I hope that together as we open up this word of God, we will learn of God. We will grow in God and we will be better in God than we were when we started out. So this study has been taking us kind of on a roller coaster ride, actually. Have you been feeling it? I've been feeling it. We have spent the last two episodes of epic of season 10 in the book of Habakkuk. Who is Habakkuk? We've talked about this. Habakkuk is a minor prophet, and he is an incredible prophet of God. Listen, we are learning all about Habakkuk and his humanity, but how he navigates this relationship with God. And sometimes, you know, we can learn from seeing others in a relationship. Okay. I don't know if you have friends or family members and you seeing the moves that they're making in the relationship and you saying, wow, they really are invested in this relationship. Wow, they really value this relationship. Wow, they really take time with this relationship. You can learn good skills from watching people. You can also learn the opposite, right? That, oh, this relationship has its challenges, and they are not investing in it. They are not taking time with it. They are not cultivating a good relationship. And listen, I hope you're here to cultivate a good relationship with God because that's why I'm here. I'm here to open up this word of God with his people and even for myself to cultivate this wonderful relationship that I have been allowed to be in. Because he didn't have to do it, but he did. So you know

Read The Bible For Yourself

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what? Before we begin our study, I'm just gonna give a commercial break. I did that last episode and I'm gonna do it this time. And this commercial break is no, not about you following Grab the Faith, not about you subscribing to Grab the Faith, not even about you making comments or sending questions or feedback to grab the faith. We love that. But this commercial break is not about grab the faith at all, it's about relationship and your relationship with God. I'm gonna just do a big old plug here. Are you reading the word of God? See, this is my commercial break. Are you diving into the word of God on your own? It is good to listen to sermons, it's good to attend Bible studies, Bible study groups, it's good to listen to this podcast and the many other podcasts that is about lifting up the word of God. That's all wonderful. But I just want to encourage you tonight with this small commercial break. Are you reading the word of God? Are you opening the book? If you are not, I just want to take this opportunity to advertise. Ain't nothing can benefit you more than sitting in the word of God. Oh, that's my commercial, honey. Ain't nothing in life can benefit you more than sitting with this word of God. Listen, if you open this book and I heard someone say, if you just open it for 15 minutes and sit and read the word of God, you may come into that chair depressed, you may come to that chair confused, you may come to that chair frustrated, you may even come to that chair anxious or despondent. But when you leave that chair, after you have spent word that time in the word of God, you know it even before I say it, that you will walk away with a different countenance. So, my one plug to you tonight is just to read the word of God. So, back

How To Do A Book Study

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to our study. That commercial is over, but back to our study. So, listen, we are studying a Habakkuk, we're studying this book of the Bible. There's many ways to study the Bible. You can study the Bible through thematic things, you can study the Bible through book studies, you can study the Bible through people studies, you can study the Bible through a lot of different means and ways. We are doing a book study. And how I come to this book study, I've studied books of the Bible before, I've studied themes of the Bible, I've studied people of the Bible. All of those things are wonderful things. But I believe that the Lord put on my heart to study this book for a reason. And listen, how I do a book study is just I read the book and I reread the book and I reread the book and I reread the book. And then I write an outline of what I've heard from that book just from my reading, right? I just write an outline of what's going on in that book. Also synthesize the book to describe the book and what I've gotten from the book. I do all this before I even sit with you, right? To write out my insights and summary and what I found in this book. Then I work will write about what kind of things in this book that can be life application things. Like, what can I learn from this? Like I'm seeing Habakkuk frustrated. I've seen Habakkuk questioning God, things that are life application things that we go through even right now. And then I share the results, right? So things that I have gleaned, just this is just from my notes from this study. So and I'm going through this because you can pick any book of the Bible and do your own study, right? We talked about those many minor prophets. So I just want to encourage you to go on and pick a minor prophet and start doing a book study. Things that I've learned from Habakkuk, not even diving into it from rereading over and over, right up right away right away, was Habakkuk was a prophet. Habakkuk was talking in absolutes. Habakkuk was frustrated and tired. Habakkuk felt like the enemy was winning. There were two questions in these books, two complaints that he had come to God with. All of these questions, two complaints that rose up out of this book, and two responses, and even a prayer. We haven't even got to that, right? The audience, who was he writing to? He was writing to Judah, right? Which is the southern kingdom, the tribes of Benjamin and the tribe of Judah. What kind of things was going on? That there was dominant world powers during that time, right? And those that were seeking to gain dominant world power. You know, these are the things that rose up to me just from my notes, from reading this book over and over and over. He was troubled with what he saw. And the thing that really stuck out to me was he had an audience of one. He had an audience of one. He was conversating with God himself. Those are just some of the simple notes that I wanted to share with you. As I just encourage you, I guess I'm still in this commercial. God just won't let me leave this commercial. I guess I'm still in this commercial. Study the minor prophets, study the word of God. Just pick a book and start studying it, rereading it over and over and over again, and seeing what kind of things start to rise to the surface for you. Because we serve a living God with a living word. This is ancient text that's still applicable to our lives today. This is ancient text that can come alive through the Holy Spirit for each and every one of us. Okay, listen, I'm done with that. I'm done with the conversion. I promise I'm done with the convertible. But in this episode three, I'm

Theme Set Where Is Your Focus

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excited. So today we're going to be finishing chapter one. Yay. We get into the it took us three episodes just to finish this chapter one. Um, I'm already, time is well spent, so it's gonna be a quicker lesson. But listen, the thing that stuck out for me in this chapter one is this dialogue, this audience of one, this dialogue between Habakkuk and his father. And in the midst of disappointment, how Habakkuk goes to his father. And out of that, there's a shift in focus, there's a change in focus. Just like I said, when we just sit, we can come to the chair with something, but when we sit with the word of God, we sit in prayer, we sit in meditation, we start hearing from God, that changes our focus, saints. That changes our mind, it shifts us in a direction. So we learned in the previous week that Habakkuk had questions for God, and God had answers for Habakkuk. That's what we learned last week. And even as God gave him some answers, Habakkuk still had more questions. And we just have to park here, right? Because Habakkuk asked God some questions. God answered him, but Habakkuk came right to God. He came right back to the foot of God with more questions. And listen, saints, that's an important thing for us to hold tonight. That even when God answers, we can still come back with more questions. You know, my mama used to tell me, don't you ask one more question. I already answered you, right? Like I will say, Mommy, why this? And I answered she answered the question. And I said, But mommy, and she said, Don't you ask again? But it's not like that with God. He wants to hear from us. He that's why he opened up prayer for us. That line of communication, right? So join me as we go back to Habakkuk chapter one and dive in tonight's theme, which is where is your focus? Where is your focus? So if you have your Bibles, turn with me to Habakkuk chapter 1, verses 12 through 17. We finish in chapter 1 tonight. Habakkuk chapter 1, verses 12 through 17, which is Habakkuk's second complaint, which says this O Lord my God, my holy one, you are eternal. Surely you do not plan to wipe us out. Our Lord, our rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins. He getting it, right? But you are pure and cannot

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint Read

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stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Ooh, listen to his questions. Will you wink at their treachery? Treachery? Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they? Are we only fish to be caught and killed? Are we only sea creatures that have no leader? Must we be strung up on their hooks and caught in their nets while they rejoice and celebrate? They will worship their nets and burn incense in front of them. Their nets are the gods who made us rich. Excuse me. These nets are the gods who made us rich, they will claim. Will you let them get away with this forever? Will they succeed forever in their heartless conquests? Oh, what a question. These questions just burden my heart because it shows me exactly how how Habakkuk is struggling with God's answers. He understood what God said to him. He understood that these Babylonians were sent by God to punish them. He understood, he grappled with that, he got what God was saying. Yet and still he struggled with the answer. Will you send these unrighteous people to punish us so that they may gloat, that they may gloat over the righteous, that they will offer incense and sacrifice to these to their unrighteous ways and their unrighteous policies? You are a holy God. Will you

God Is Sovereign Not Creation

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just wink at their wickedness? See, Habakkuk is really struggling here as he is talking to his father, knowing this very thing, that the very God who sent this punishment is the very God that can help. Habakkuk is sitting knowing that God is sovereign, knowing that he is God. And listen, that's a whole word for us tonight. That God is God. When we come to him with our questions, with our burdens, with our sorrows, with our suffering, with our struggles, we got to know that God is God. There is only one God. He's attesting to this right among his questions. And listen, this God that we serve is not the universe, okay? He created the universe. He ain't the universe. He is not his creation, okay? God created the heavens and the earth, okay? He created everything, and he ain't nature, because he created nature. Listen to me and listen to me clear. God is not his creation, he is above his creation. So when God, when people say, Oh, God of God is the universe, God is nature, I want you to take pause. Because how can the creator be the creation? That don't make no kind of sense. There is only one creator, and there is things that he created. He created the universe, he created man, he created fish, he created the animals, he created the stars, he created the sun, he created the winds and the waves, he created all of these things. And if you don't know about that and want more information about that, please don't hesitate to go onto my YouTube and learn about all of these things, right? Because I did a wonderful study that just talks about Bible basics. Um so if you need Bible basics, we're talking about studying the word of God. If you need Bible basics, go on back and get those Bible basics about who is Jesus, who is God, what is the Bible? All of those things are covered in the Bible basics that I that I put forth, just so we can start off at a with a good foundation. So we need to know that God is God, He is not His creation, right? And He sure ain't an idol sitting on no shelf. Those are dead things, right? All kinds of idols that people put on altars, those are not gods, those are idols, those are dead things. You can pick them up and move, okay? Let me be clear. You can pick it up, just like the elf on the shelf. You can pick it up here and move it there, you can pick it up here and move it there. Listen, the real true living God, you can't pick him up. You can't move him, okay? He moves you, okay? You don't move him, okay. There's a difference there. So I want you to say, we serve a living God. And Habakkuk knew who he was serving, he knew who was in control. John 3, John chapter 3, verses 31 says, The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. Earthly things are earthly things, but the one who comes from heaven is above all. And just for prosperity, I want to read John 3, verses 35, which says, The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. That's talking about Jesus. I just gotta highlight Jesus too. So less, and they are one: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. They are one. Okay, that's Bible basics, too. I want you to know Habakkuk knew who he was serving, he knew that everything was in God's hands, and that's important to know because Habakkuk is hearing a hard thing from God. He's hearing bad news, saints, that God

Discipline As Love And Steadfast Faith

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is allowing this regime who is trying to gain dominance, this evil regime to punish the people of God. And let me tell you, I have been on punishment before, and it ain't no joyous occasion. See, I have been on punishment, I have been on restriction, I have been punished by my parents, right? And I knew my parents loved me, I knew they had in mind what is best for me, but still, when I sat on that punishment, it didn't feel good, it didn't feel good to be disciplined. The people of God is being disciplined, and that's what Habakkuk is struggling with. He's struggling with God's will, he's struggling with God's plan for this, these people who are under this evil regime. But I want to lift up to our hearings, Hebrew 12, 5 and 7. See, because Habakkuk know that even though he's in there there in punishment, that God's people is being punished under this really, really challenging evil regime, he still believes. That no matter what you may go through, even if it's God's will and his plan for your life, like losing someone that you loved, still go to God, still petition God, still go to God, still keep the lines of communication open. Hebrews 12 verses 5 through 7 says this, and have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children. He said, My child, don't make light of God, of the Lord's discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you. Oh, do you hear me tonight? This is Hebrews chapter 12, verses 5 through 7. And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, My child, don't make light of the Lord's discipline. See that there we know that the Lord shall discipline his people on different occasions, and don't give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplined those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child. As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who is never disciplined by his father, listen, saints. Habakkuk needs to know, and so do we, that the Lord disciplined those he loves, he corrects them. Whoever heard of a child that is never disciplined from their father, listen, all you have to do is look around and see and look for kids that haven't been disciplined by nature parent. And you can see how the life they live. That's something for us to learn tonight. Habakkuk is teaching us, and so is Hebrews. We don't have to like it, but it's still good for us. Now take a look at Habakkuk in his suffering and his struggle, what he does. He still talks to his father, and he didn't turn his back on God because of God's decision of discipline. He didn't stop talking to him. Okay, he went back to The throne and asked again. And he sought him again. And listen, that's the example of his steadfastness, right? That sometimes we won't like the places that we're in. Sometimes we don't like the cars we've been dealt, but never give up on God because He doesn't give up on us. Never stop talking to Him. You can get mad at God, but don't divorce Him. Just like you get mad at your husband. I listen, I'm I'm attesting to that. That's my testimony. Sometimes I'll be mad with my husband, but I'm not going to divorce him just because I'm mad at him. Even in disappointment, remain steadfast. We have a great example of this in King David, who did some dirt and loses his son. But he still was a man after God's own heart. And even Job, another example, he says, though he slain me, yet I will trust him. Honey, I'm still gonna talk with him, I'm still gonna sup with him, I'm still gonna conversate with him, I'm still gonna petition him. He is my God. And listen, this is the truth. Where else can you go to, saints? When you're under the hand of God, where else can you go to? Even when it's tough, even when it feels bad, even when you don't like it, where else can you go to but the hand of God? David said, Listen, I'd rather be in God's hands than anybody else's, okay? And that's our main point tonight, to keep the lines of communication with God open, right? And acknowledge who God is. Habakkuk says, Oh Lord, my rock. Oh Lord, our rock, right? Oh Lord my God. He's saying exactly who he is to him. He ain't losing sight of who he's talking to. To God, you are my rock. You are our rock. Honey, the rock of our salvation, we can stand in you. And this is beautiful to me, right? Because I have to know that no matter what I'm dealing with, I have to know who I am and whose I am. When the world is topsy-turvy and willy-nilly, I have to stand on the fact that I am a child of the most high God and who I am serving. I can't get caught up in what I see. See, my husband has been telling me time and time again about these fake memes he's been seeing online, right? And how people have believed these AI memes, right? And doubling down on them why he don't go, why they don't go to church. Oh, I don't go to church because of this kind of thing goes on in the church. I don't go to church because this kind of how you know what goes on in the church if you don't go to church, number one. But the other thing is, and I'm not chastising people, I'm just saying that if you using what you see online for not believing in God, we can't fix our eyes on what we see, we gotta fix our eyes on

Don’t Fix Eyes On What You See

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what we know. We can't fix our eyes on what we see because listen, what we see may be true or not true, right? We can't even trust our own eyes, but we gotta fix our eyes on what we know, and that's where Habakkuk is. He's fixing his eyes on what he knows, he knows that God is his God, he knows that God is all powerful and can change the situation. He's fixing his eyes on what he knows, he's staying focused, y'all. Listen, watch your focus. I'm saying all this to say watch your focus, because God ain't up in heaven making memes, God ain't down here making laws and bombing people, and God ain't making decisions based on what his friends do or what he heard, what is going on. God is God, okay? And we gotta make decisions on God, not on what we've seen, not on what we're hearing. You got to know who you are and know who God is. You are a friend of God, and he calls you friend. Just look at her back, even while being punished, he's still saying, You are my God. You still are my holy one, even when the evil is all around me. It's tough, but you are my rock. He's disappointed, but he's hanging on to his faith. Listen, saints. When all else fails, in the midst of trouble, be reminded of God and his character that we serve a good God even in bad situations. Your situations don't determine who God is, just like it doesn't determine who you are. Your situation don't determine who you are, and you your situation don't determine who God is. So, friend, fix your focus. And I'm gonna leave you with Isaiah 26, 3, which says, You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you. Because of what? Because he trusts in you.