Sunday Gathering · 10:30 · 12:30 · 14:30 EN DE FR PT ES UK
The Kindness Project. Discipleship resources
Find your next step
DISPAIR TO UNSHAKABLE FAITH

From Complete Despair to Unshakable Faith.

From despair to faith in a world of violence: how to believe in a good God

From Complete Despair to Unshakable Faith
Now playing
From Complete Despair to Unshakable Faith
00:00 / 32:42
32:42 Download transcript
  1. 0:00 Today I want to share a message that I believe God put in my heart, and to be honest this word was very helpful and God gave it to us in certain time in Kiev, and today I want to speak about the topic of how to believe in a good God, where there is so much evil around.
  2. 0:22 Certainly the context of our country is very different and the economy is different, the situation is different, and many other differences among us.
  3. 0:34 But I'm convinced that the questions that we ask God can be sometimes very similar.
  4. 0:41 It's no matter where you live, we're just all human beings.
  5. 0:45 How to believe in a good God when there is such a huge evil around?
  6. 0:51 And the question asked by so many people today, and to say that God has nothing to do with this would be incorrect
  7. 1:05 because He is a God and everything is in His hand.
  8. 1:11 Then again, to say that God is one who causes the evil on the earth would be incorrect as well.
  9. 1:19 Because we know God is light and there's no darkness in Him.
  10. 1:24 We know He is love.
  11. 1:26 And we know He's a good God.
  12. 1:30 There are two books in the Bible that directly raise up the question about this question.
  13. 1:38 And this is the book of Job, the well known, book of Job, and another book that may be less known, the book of Habakkuk.
  14. 1:48 The word Theodosy, maybe who knows or not, this is the word or teaching about justification of God.
  15. 1:55 And we know that God justifies us as a Christians.
  16. 2:00 But there are some situations when people, I want to underline, that people think that God must justify Himself.
  17. 2:11 This is why today I'm going to preach from the book of Habakkuk and because it's a story of the person who came from complete despair to unshakable faith.
  18. 2:26 So my, my, my, my, the name of my message today from complete despair to unshakable faith.
  19. 2:35 Possibly the message of the name, probably the meaning of the word Habakkuk is to hug or to wrestle.
  20. 2:46 And you know, they said that the most strong hugs are wrestlers when they are fighting.
  21. 2:54 They hug each other, they wrestle each other.
  22. 2:55 They said this is the most strongest hugs amongst all the people on the earth when they, when they, when they collapsed in this, in this strong hugs.
  23. 3:05 And you know, to be honest, to speak that we are sometimes, we are wrestling the same thing with God because we need answer from Him.
  24. 3:19 And maybe today nobody knows that, but you are wrestling very seriously with God for your answer.
  25. 3:28 And you know what, and you know what, because, because many of us, we need an answer,
  26. 3:37 we need the answer to the situation that there is no rational answer.
  27. 3:44 If the rational answer, war must be stopped six months after beginning.
  28. 3:51 But it's still going on.
  29. 3:55 And it seems to me that nearly all of us, one way or another, find ourselves wrestling with God in our personal situation.
  30. 4:06 And can I even assume that today people may have not only questions for God, but even on the measure of complaining to God.
  31. 4:24 I want us to start to read from the book of Habakkuk, first chapter.
  32. 4:30 And let's be very careful.
  33. 4:32 Listen what he said.
  34. 4:33 This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received in the vision.
  35. 4:38 How long, oh Lord, must I call for help?
  36. 4:44 But you do not listen.
  37. 4:47 Is it familiar for somebody these words?
  38. 4:55 Violence is everywhere.
  39. 4:58 I cry, but you do not come to save.
  40. 5:02 Must I forever see these evil deeds?
  41. 5:07 Why must I watch all this misery?
  42. 5:11 Wherever I look I see destruction and violence.
  43. 5:15 I'm surrounded by people who love, who love to end, to argue and fight.
  44. 5:23 The law was become paralyzed and there is no justice in the courts.
  45. 5:29 The wicked for outnumber the righteous.
  46. 5:32 So the justice has become perverted.
  47. 5:36 I want to explain a little bit about this.
  48. 5:39 In this scenario there was, there were a nation that must to reveal God to other nations.
  49. 5:48 But he faced the situation that inside his nation there was not any more justice.
  50. 5:56 And the people who must to make just, just decision, they were criminals themselves.
  51. 6:04 I know it's a message.
  52. 6:05 It's a, it's a, it's their time.
  53. 6:07 But in our days so many people we put our trust in.
  54. 6:13 And we think these people must do the right things.
  55. 6:19 But it somehow happened different way.
  56. 6:25 So the one who's supposed to bring justice become the criminal himself.
  57. 6:30 He has been crying to God for so long.
  58. 6:34 It's not one prayer.
  59. 6:36 It's not one prayer.
  60. 6:37 It's sad, but it's reality that you will, we will see unjust situation and we probably call to God many times for him, to him to do something.
  61. 6:49 And to be honest guys, there's nothing new in this earth.
  62. 6:53 Somebody did it before us.
  63. 6:56 And this is written in the Bible.
  64. 6:58 It's not secret.
  65. 7:00 This is real life that somebody didn't have answer from God for the long time.
  66. 7:06 If you're in the same position, let's keep read Bible.
  67. 7:09 What Bible says more about this.
  68. 7:12 Amen.
  69. 7:13 Can we read more?
  70. 7:16 Habakkuk first chapter five fifths verse.
  71. 7:19 The Lord replied look around and the nations look and be amazed for I'm doing something in your own day.
  72. 7:29 Some something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it.
  73. 7:35 If he stopped here, it would be amazing.
  74. 7:38 But he keep talking.
  75. 7:40 He say I'm raising up the Babylonians.
  76. 7:44 A cruel and violent people.
  77. 7:47 They will red march across the world and conquer other lands.
  78. 7:52 They are notorious for their cruelty and do whatever they like.
  79. 8:00 You know what?
  80. 8:02 This is very interesting.
  81. 8:04 Finally answer from God.
  82. 8:08 To sum up, if we summarize it up, this is technically the answer.
  83. 8:16 You asking me?
  84. 8:17 I'm answer you.
  85. 8:19 This is my answer.
  86. 8:21 So but this is not the answer.
  87. 8:24 The Habakkuk can say amen.
  88. 8:29 You're not ready to say to God's words amen.
  89. 8:32 Have you ever been in a situation God's saying to you something said I'm not sure man or not.
  90. 8:45 You know At the beginning of the war, sorry to talking a lot about this because it's part of our life, right?
  91. 8:54 We are we're asking God for the answer we need.
  92. 8:59 God we need an answer for you when you stop this war.
  93. 9:02 When it's over when the enemy will be conquered when when I'm not going to go to details, but then we grew up a little bit Over the years we grew up
  94. 9:16 But isn't important to understand for us When we come in to ask God don't forget that he is a God
  95. 9:28 If you want to have that answer just if you go to friend Or go to our brother or whatever, but every when we go to God He's still in the full authority and we might accept every answer that he have because We cannot make him make answers that we like or we want He is God and Habakkuk doesn't understand why all of the happening
  96. 9:53 around him And it's no coincidence that the God's saying in other verses.
  97. 9:58 He said my thoughts are higher than your thoughts
  98. 10:01 And my ways is higher than your ways You know, I I one time I I heard this saying that I like what what people said they said if you if any one of us Will head for next 24 hours All the power that God have All the knowledge that God have all the understanding that God have you would probably change nothing
  99. 10:26 Okay, let's move forward And let's be honest.
  100. 10:32 We wouldn't understand either Why certain things happening and why God allowed them some things Especially for my nation as I already said this under stuns Habakkuk He finally heard God And he stands by answer God You know and I want and I want you to listen something very carefully how Habakkuk then Continue to speak with God.
  101. 10:57 Look what he said.
  102. 10:58 Oh lord my God my holy one You are eternal Do you remember his first saying how long oh lord must I call for help Now he's saying something different.
  103. 11:11 He's saying oh lord my God my holy one You are that you are who eternal surely you do not plan to wipe us out Oh lord our rock you have sent these biblonians to correct us to punish us for our many sins But you are pure it cannot stand the side of evil Will you wink at their treachery?
  104. 11:37 Should you be silent while the wicked shallow?
  105. 11:42 On people more righteous than them You know what I like it shows us a progress
  106. 11:58 And we have to be very careful because in in in our and and God knows we are people Because this he says that he begins with the word of God And in the final he a little bit say again what he want to say
  107. 12:16 Is it reminding you or me like when you are here when we worship in God what we do you are the best God?
  108. 12:23 You are number one You are the lord and he said but why?
  109. 12:29 Do you know that you're saying like god you are the only one you are the holy one you are the But why it's happening in my life
  110. 12:38 You know what the most important thing I would suggest to myself and to you What we start to see in hebakkuk He began the fear of God Start to come on his soul And i'm really i'm really really suggest to me and to everybody else Even if you have the most difficult situation in your life never never ever lose
  111. 13:04 the fear of God Never because this is the way we need to be learned he start to speak differently
  112. 13:12 The the fear of God start to pour on his heart
  113. 13:18 And even you know how he said and I love how he said here, but but now he thinks that even if Chaldeans come and attack them.
  114. 13:27 God will somehow save them anyway He said anyway, so he changed already And guys, I want to say when you're gonna pray in most difficult situation Holy spirit will help you to change in your heart And you will go from the hard heart to soft heart Just just do it.
  115. 13:45 You know, just do it just do it just do it and god was soft in your heart You will be more Ready to receive his words And to submit to them And more listen and less saying what you want and more listen less saying more listen Less saying more listen
  116. 14:07 He's god and he will show Showing show will show the way, you know the abraham was very same with the same He knows that he don't know what the outcome what's going to happen with his son But he somehow got you will do it And this is the maybe this is the revelation you need when you don't know anything somehow it will happen Somehow it will happen somehow Listen, this is the small seed which
  117. 14:32 is equal this words like somehow This is faith is maybe enough for you to make another step To keep moving To see god's miracle in your life The sound It sounds like both statement of the god is God is the god and the question at the same time
  118. 14:56 from this passage We see that habakkuk a wearing, you know, he's wearing turning by by his thoughts He's saying you are too holy to look upon evil and then he said but you still look on it Crying because but you know what he still keep crying because he still need an answer.
  119. 15:15 He still need the answer And and and this is very important thing guys what I want to say I know in my In my opinion, I saw lots of people who was very early stop Talking with god about some issues And then just become their own decisions not waiting enough for the answer You know, they just waited and they made their decisions
  120. 15:43 Under pressure of fear under pressure of anything, you know But this guy I like this guy that he he's still waiting for god For you wait, it can be be faithful in the church For you waiting keep worshiping him for you waiting can be Start serving, you know, not just wait But wave actively Wait actively Be
  121. 16:08 in the house of god.
  122. 16:10 This is the best place where you can wait for the answer Not over there but here amongst brother and sisters who have Who for you not against you?
  123. 16:23 amen And this is very important and and here is following answer.
  124. 16:27 Look The next verses is absolutely crucial to us, I believe hebakkuk second chapter We start to read from second verse Look very carefully and the lord answered me write the vision make it plain on a tablet So he may run who reads it for still the vision awaits.
  125. 16:48 It's appointed time It happens to the end.
  126. 16:52 It has Sorry, it's hasten to the end it will not lie if it seems slow wait for it It will surely come It will not delay I know many preachers is me We sometimes use this verse For vision, you know, just write your vision.
  127. 17:12 It's good to write your vision.
  128. 17:13 It's good But this particular this place is not about writing something good or awesome
  129. 17:23 You know what he means this is something very different and I want to I want to say why this is In a time of because god knows Because he said that this enemy will come they'll attack you they know what they're going to feel They said you have to write this vision because in the most difficult situation
  130. 17:42 You will not see any vision
  131. 17:47 I know it I can testify it When you have to run from the city when the bombs are exploding You don't have any vision
  132. 17:58 And you know what you have but at the same time you can see something, you know what?
  133. 18:04 written bible Word of god written this is going to be your vision That you take it in the most crucial situation
  134. 18:16 In the most difficult situation you're picking up written word.
  135. 18:20 You don't see anything Maybe you are going through I don't know some some challenges with your work with career with your family And you don't see anything only attacking attacking but you need vision is these days and this vision is here written And this vision in your beloved son of god, you're not forgotten You have you you have a future This is the vision you have to have
  136. 18:46 You have to have this vision in front of your eyes Because there will be a time that you cannot because you cannot see beautiful picture in front of you
  137. 18:59 but nevertheless The lord still want us to see something He's still in the most difficult you want us to see and
  138. 19:09 Better to use this vision every day
  139. 19:16 Look what is what is next?
  140. 19:19 uh second chapter first verse behold His soul is puffed up It is not upright within him But the righteous shall live by his faith moreover wine Is a traitor and arrogant man who is never At rest his greed Is
  141. 19:44 a white shell like death He has never enough He gather for himself and nations and collect as his own old people This is very important part I want to explain it a little bit
  142. 20:07 Unrighteous soul Will never have enough
  143. 20:13 There's never going to be a days when you're going to live with a awesome presidents Awesome rulers Awesome everywhere No No, this in all countries this always will be puffed up souls, you know always And we say how to live in all of this.
  144. 20:36 This is the answer The righteous will live by faith
  145. 20:47 You know that we ask ourselves You know what we what we?
  146. 20:52 We do we do the economy will be good then Then everything will be good.
  147. 20:57 The right parliament will be the right party want to be in charge, you know I'm for the right ones
  148. 21:05 But I want to say that we are Don't have to lay our hope in this world And in the more difficult situation he said you can live through it and you know how by faith
  149. 21:20 Righteous will live by faith.
  150. 21:21 You know what today when i'm so angry when i'm i'm so not agree with everything so happening I saying to myself There always will be angry people.
  151. 21:30 They're always people want to be who wants to kill.
  152. 21:32 They're always people who wants fight always but
  153. 21:37 Righteous will live by faith But righteous will live by faith I mean
  154. 21:46 so To live by faith not rational.
  155. 21:50 It's not It's not by the power of our mind or our logic.
  156. 21:56 It's by faith And it just the arrogant people are they They are just own gods
  157. 22:07 And another important thing the righteous person Is not someone Who achieved his righteousness?
  158. 22:16 Because i'm 30 years with god i'm achieving my righteous then why i'm righteous.
  159. 22:20 No, it's not about that It's not about that.
  160. 22:23 The righteous people is not about that.
  161. 22:25 The righteous people is because what jesus did for us
  162. 22:31 And I want us to say something very important If you pray about some very some any revelations
  163. 22:44 This is very important revelation because this is the most stumbling thing in our life.
  164. 22:50 We live with ourself We know who we are.
  165. 22:54 We know what we think.
  166. 22:55 We know what we're looking to.
  167. 22:57 We know we know everything about us But we have to understand that we're righteous not because we are but because he is And and this revelation is Yeah And this is and this is the revelation that we need to grow up To grow up not because of me but because of him And this revelation will take over so many
  168. 23:22 difficult issues in our life It will take over some difficult issues in our life when you believe that you are holy you can accept it from jesus Really accept it from jesus.
  169. 23:32 You will accept so many things others in your life Because you always if you think you are not worthy anything what is written for you you are not worthy But if you are righteous one, you will live by your faith If you're righteous one, you will live by your faith
  170. 23:57 You know the hebrew word for faith Immuna It contains three things it contains faith in god That some people can I can imagine I can think that some people like a guest with us today or you are Still questioning god and you came here to maybe you know to to listen something to see something and maybe to
  171. 24:22 I believe that you after this service can Believe that god is exist But the first step is believe in god that he is exist and majority of people here believe that god is exist Secondly what this word is mean faithfulness to god When you believe in him your second second step is being faithful faithful to god Faithful to god you believe
  172. 24:48 Faithful to him faithful to come to the church faithful to believe what is said faithful in your commitment in your in your destiny Faithful in a good days like to husband and wife you faithful to god When it's good days and when it's bad days Both because somehow people think face is something magical, you know, like yes, it's magical kind of but
  173. 25:13 it's very practical as well You're just very faithful You come in on the right time you are serving to people You are faithful in the good days in the bad days.
  174. 25:24 That's how this face is Altogether comes to the grow in your heart and the third one trust in god after that you trust him You trust him I don't know but I trust I don't understand but I trust I don't see but I trust This is what is faith about We we don't see many things, but you know what we trust We keep trusting and this face
  175. 25:49 growing up in our so the righteous will live by this kind of faith
  176. 25:57 Maybe you're asking yourself how to grow my faith.
  177. 26:00 This is three things that you can start from And we'll see what god can do through it You know what he will he will see you straight away He will see people straight away who want to believe
  178. 26:14 Who picking up?
  179. 26:15 jesus righteousness amen Amen Potentially Okay, let's look at the next context because in the hebrews tends with in hebrew 10 chapter 34th verse saying Uh, it's already something in the new testament what is said about very same thing that we just read
  180. 26:40 with you uh for the for you had compassion on those in prison Because many of them was in prison And you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property.
  181. 26:55 Just imagine what he's saying like you You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property I'm still not there
  182. 27:06 I'm still not there to be honest because tonight was a lot of shelling in our country And they it looks like they taking territory.
  183. 27:14 They ruin like i'm still need god Strength in my and i'm very honest with you.
  184. 27:21 It's a real life guys There's no superhero here, you know But instead you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property since you knew that your Yourselves had a better position and a binding one He said you you was not you were not collapsed You were not crushed You didn't want to do suicide,
  185. 27:46 you know Because you lose everything no because you know, this is your temporal stuff that you know It's something very different to our view of this world, right?
  186. 27:55 Because we keep standing on those that something is eternal behind ahead of us
  187. 28:02 And then Therefore do not throw away from your confidence Which has a great reward The confidence has reward for you have need of endurance so that you Know you have done The will of god you might receive what is promised we're all about to
  188. 28:27 make the will of god.
  189. 28:28 Amen And then guys after all of these words not easy words he's saying Yet a little while a little while and the coming one will come and will not delay My suggestion to me and to everybody else
  190. 28:47 not delay Let's focused Not on the words One day he comes but let's focus on the on the not delay
  191. 28:59 You may ask him right now when it's gonna work in my life my answer is he's not delay When the answer is come the answer is not when He will not be delayed It's gonna be the right time This is the word of god.
  192. 29:16 He said not delay.
  193. 29:17 I'm not gonna be delayed God not gonna delay what you need to do and then listen carefully friends 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith But my righteous one will shall live by faith He said how we can go through all of this by faith We live by faith in the name of jesus And if he shrinks
  194. 29:42 back my soul has no pleasure in him, but we are not of those Let's everybody say but we're not of those Hillsong berlin, we're not of those Who shrink back right in the most difficult days?
  195. 29:58 We're not shrink back We know the reality maybe you you're going through some very difficult, but you're not gonna shrink back You're not gonna shrink back We're not of those because jesus is with us because we are the righteous one because we're living by faith in the name of jesus But we're not of those who shrink by yeah, let's let's go
  196. 30:20 but one but one Who's Those who have faith and persevere their souls.
  197. 30:28 We have faith guys.
  198. 30:30 We have faith you know back to the hebakkuk book I'm not gonna read it.
  199. 30:38 I just finished with that He said later after all of this He said later no worry about those who are attacking you
  200. 30:49 There's right judgment on them But it's not not your thing
  201. 30:55 God is still god These people who are making wars who are making who are conquered territory who are the dead like servants of deva they're like drunk of their power They're like drunk of their of their of their victories, but hangover will come
  202. 31:18 And you know what god knows every man what he did But this is not not our role to judge He is the god and I want us To live today with this thought that god sees everything He sees personally your life what you're going through And one of the suggestion probably as he gave to us Three
  203. 31:44 years ago, maybe four years ago.
  204. 31:45 He said the righteous will live by faith And i'm telling you guys this is help us a lot To go through so many things And I believe no matter no matter what no matter what what happening around In the day of pentecost
  205. 32:02 Holy spirit still on us He still we still hear voice of god You know the day of pentecost is about the church hear what god's saying today to the church
  206. 32:17 We smart He gave light upon us not instead of our brain Right He puts upon us light That we will be smart
  207. 32:32 Not on fire or without the brains, you know, but he want us to be smart Know everything understand to this world to show the way Amen

A sermon on Habakkuk and wrestling with God when violence and injustice feel everywhere — from his cry, “How long, oh Lord…,” to the reply that God is doing something “in your own day.”

By Yuri Ravnushkin
Date
May 27, 2026
Duration
32:42
Download audio
Keep listening

More teachings.

What's Your Advantage Pt. 6 - A Godly Perspective
Audio

What's Your Advantage Pt. 6 - A Godly Perspective

25:55
The Antidote to Disappointment
Video

The Antidote to Disappointment

31:21
7 Things About Kindness In Action
Audio

7 Things About Kindness In Action

43:28
Overcoming My Doubts (Pt. 2)
Audio

Overcoming My Doubts (Pt. 2)

27:55
Overcoming My Doubts (Pt. 1)
Audio

Overcoming My Doubts (Pt. 1)

27:13