Key Takeaways

God knows we’re ready for what’s next by how we handle what’s now.

Feeling stuck in the gap can be disappointing. While we are praying to God to give us what’s next, his Word reminds us that there is a better way to experience where we are right now.

As we continue to explore the book of Habakkuk, we learn that how we handle our time in the gap not only prepares us for what God has planned for us, but shapes us into people who can live out a greater purpose.

• The book of Habakkuk – The prophet Habakkuk and God have a raw conversation about why there’s so much suffering and pain in the world.In verses 2:2-3, God instructs Habakkuk to write down his Word and to wait patiently for it to take place. God’s Word is a training guide for life in the gap. It tells us about the future and also about how to live in the present.
• The gap is not a waste of time – It is where we experience spiritual formation. The gap gives us the opportunity to build the kind of faith, relationships, and character that can handle what God has for us next.
• Actively waiting – In the gap we can wait actively by seeking God’s direction, taking next steps in that direction, and waiting with confidence in his power. Instead of wasting the gap by praying for it to end, we can steward the time well by praying for God to use it to strengthen us.
• Who are you becoming while you wait? – The proud try to avoid the gap at all costs by forcing outcomes or controlling situations. They become anxious, shallow, and paranoid. Those who are faithful and love God treat the gap like a season to be stewarded. They become content, resilient, and hopeful.
• God’s ultimate plan – Our lives, our gaps, and our faith are not just about us. They’re about God’s greater desire for the whole world to know him. Your plan may be to make it through the gap, but God’s plan is to fill the earth with his glory.

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Pray

Prayer is our time to talk to God. As you pray, ask God to help you trust his timing while choosing faith over restlessness in seasons of waiting.

Dear Heavenly Father, you are a just God. Even when your answers don’t align with our desire for a quick resolution, they are always right on time and never delayed.

At times, Lord, we become restless and self-reliant. Help us to live as your Word says in Habakkuk 2:4 – by our faithfulness to you.

Although we may not always understand or enjoy the “gaps,” we are grateful for the opportunities they provide to grow our faith. In moments of waiting, help us seek your guidance and direction. For it’s in your son’s name we pray, amen.

For it’s in your Son’s name we pray, amen.

Worship

Bring the worship set from this weekend into your Slot and Spot and praise God for his faithfulness in the waiting season.

• Thank God I’m Free by Elevation Rhythm
• Can’t Help but Praise by Jordan Colle
• Always on Time by Elevation Worship

Learn

This week, read through the scripture shared in the message and dive deeper into God’s word.

Then the LORD said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.

This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.

“Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. – Habakkuk 2:2-4

• Read – Ephesians 3:20-21
• Read – Waiting on God
• Watch – Bible Project’s Habakkuk
• Listen – Habakkuk 2 from Through the Word

Reflect

Reflect on these questions during your Slot and Spot/discussions with others.

God knows we’re ready for what’s next by how we handle what’s now. How have you grown spiritually through previous gaps that you have faced? Do you feel better prepared to face future gaps?

• Have you ever been put in a situation you felt unprepared for? How did it turn out?

Habakkuk 2:2-3 tells us, “Then the Lord said to me, write my answer plainly on tablets so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”

• What areas of your life feel uncertain to you right now? As you spend time with God, what direction do you feel him calling you in this area? What is one step you can take this week in that direction?

This week, we heard “delay can often lead to drift.”

• How do you stay focused in the gap? What tends to cause you to get distracted or discouraged?
• How do you steward your time well through gap seasons? Who have you witnessed “wait well”? What have you learned from them?

We are reminded that our time spent waiting is not just about us – it is about God’s greater desire for the whole world to know him.

• Reflect on a time you felt you were waiting on God. How did God use you in that time to reach others?
• If you currently feel like you are waiting to hear from God, how might you be able to use your experience to bring God to others?

Next Steps

This week, spend some intentional time with God in your Slot and Spot. Ask him to give you direction in some area of your life. Wait for an answer, write it down, then take one step toward it this coming week.

A lot of us get stuck in the gap when we don’t take a step with God. Find out what step he may have for you by joining us for Plugged In, a simple, three-step path designed to help you find your place, purpose, and part in our community of faith.