Habakkuk 3:17-18
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
This is a difficult lesson to put into practice. How can we be joyful and thankful when our lives on earth are painful and broken? I have worked on the thankful piece, and I try to always be thankful, because God always provides peace and comfort. But the rejoicing piece is more difficult for me. I am all about feelings- too much so, I admit. Rejoicing requires a level of feeling I can’t always produce at will. Maybe the lesson here is to dig deeper- dig past the present complaints, and remember the gifts and the promises of God. He is there, always, unchanging.
Heavenly Father, I am thankful and I am unworthy of your many blessings. Forgive me when I lose track of you in my day to day. You never lose track of me. This will be a stressful week for me, and I will need patience and energy. I will remember you are with me. Amen
Becky, transforming
pic by Kay
Habakkuk 3:17-18 What an amazing statement of faith. Habakkuk describes a situation where everything is going wrong. Then he says YET! Even when all is going wrong, he can rejoice in the Lord. How difficult that is for us who live in today’s world culture. My hope is that when I am devastated by loss, I know I can turn to God for strength. To be honest, however, I’m not sure I can rejoice about that. Prayer. Gracious God, guide and help me develop such a faith as Habakkuk. I know you give strength, but help me rejoice in you. Amen
Habakkuk 3: 17-18 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the field produce not food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
When hardship comes and life sends us challenges it is sometimes difficult to rejoice. If we look hard enough, we will find that God brings good out of every circumstance, if only we trust in Him and believe in Him. I thank God daily for every blessing sent, the forgiveness I did not deserve and every trial he sent into my life.…
Habakkuk 3:17-18
I think we will all get the same message from this passage. It is easy to be thankful and rejoice when everything is going well. When work is good. When everyone in the family is getting along. My health, and that of my family, is good. There are no problems with neighbors and co-workers. When the government is performing as they should. In those circumstance, most people would seem to be happy. But what about living in the midst of chaos. No money to pay the rent. Your car won’t start, the ones you love no longer love you It is much harder to rejoice and be joyful when the circumstances are against you. This is what m…
Habakkuk 3:17-18
17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, thought the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen, and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
I thank God for the physical things in my life and I have never gone without. If I lost everything, I’m not sure I could rejoice. I’m not asking for that test to occur but these verses have made me think about what I would do under those conditions.
Dear Lord thank you for my life. I will probably never be…
Habakkuk 3:17-18
I agree with Becky in that in our materialistic, consumer-driven world, the thought of rejoicing in times of want seems strange. I hope I am not overusing the example, as I have cited it a lot in our meetings, but in developing nations where Christianity is vibrant and on the rise, we see this put into action quite regularly. Perhaps the message is that when all one’s material blessings are gone, the blessing of Emmanuel is still ours to claim. The hope this reality brings can be the spark that allows us to rejoice.
Prayer - Generous God, You have chosen not to lead me down pathways of hunger, poverty or deprivation, and I give You thanks. I…