Trusting God In The Dark
Month 6: Hard Questions · Heart Matters
Today's Scripture
Read together: Habakkuk 3:16-19
16 I heard and trembled within; my lips quivered at the sound. Decay entered my bones; I trembled where I stood. Yet I must wait patiently for the day of distress to come upon the people who invade us. 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, 18 yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! 19 GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights! For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.
Memory Verse
“Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!”— Habakkuk 3:17-18 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 2 Samuel 1-4
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (David grieves Saul and Jonathan and begins to reign.)The Heart of It
Listen to what Habakkuk says at the start of these verses. "When I heard, my body trembled; my lips quivered… rottenness entered my bones" (3:16). This is not a man pretending to be tough. He was shaking. He was scared. And yet there's that word "yet" again. In the very next breath he chooses to rejoice and trust. That's so important for our hearts. Trusting God in the dark does not mean you stop feeling afraid. It means you feel afraid and you decide to lean on God anyway. Brave faith and shaky knees can live in the same person.
How did Habakkuk do it? Look at the last verse. "The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills" (3:19). A deer can run along the steep, scary edges of a mountain without slipping. It's not because the cliff is safe. It's because the deer is made for it. Habakkuk is saying, "God will hold me steady on the scary path." Maybe you're walking through something dark. A scary night. A friend who moved away. A sickness in the family. God doesn't always take the cliff away. Sometimes He gives you "deer's feet" to walk it without falling. Your strength for the dark isn't inside you. It's Him.
Around the Table
Habakkuk was shaking and scared, but he held on to God anyway. God gives us "deer feet" so we don't slip on scary paths!
Let's do it: Stand on one foot and wobble. Now grab a grown-up's hand and try again. God is the hand that keeps us steady.
Habakkuk was honestly afraid. But he trusted God to be his strength. Being brave doesn't mean you never feel scared.
Let's talk: What's something that scares you a little? How could God be your "strength" right in the middle of it?
Habakkuk's bones were trembling, and he still chose joy. Faith isn't the absence of fear. It's leaning on God for strength even while you're afraid.
Let's go deeper: Why is "the LORD God is my strength" different from "I just need to be more confident in myself"? Which one holds up in the dark?
💬 Conversation Starter
When you're scared at night or before something big, what helps you feel steady? What if God wants to be that steadiness?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Sometimes people say, "Believing in God is just for people who need to feel brave." Gently reply that real faith doesn't deny fear. Habakkuk's bones trembled, and he trusted. We're not pretending to be fearless. We're leaning on Someone stronger than our fear. And we say so "with gentleness and respect" ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Your kids need to see that following Jesus is not the same as never being afraid. If you only ever show them a confident, unshakeable dad, they may conclude that their own fear means their faith is broken. But Habakkuk shows us a better way. Name the trembling honestly, then anchor to God as strength. Let your children occasionally see you say, "I'm worried about this, so let's pray about it together." Then let them watch you actually trust. That models a faith durable enough to carry into a frightening world. Their feet won't be steadied by your pretended courage. They'll be steadied by watching where you put your weight when the ground shakes.
Draws on: Paul David Tripp, Parenting; Tony Evans, A Moment for Your Soul.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, when our hearts tremble and the path feels scary, You are our strength. Hold us steady so we don't slip. Help us be honest about our fears. And help us hold on to You right in the middle of them. In Jesus' name, amen."
Brave faith and shaky knees can live together. God is my strength in the dark.