Faith and joy in the Midst of Trouble - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my heart and mind in Habakkuk 3:17-19,

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.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights."

In Habakkuk's prayer, cast as a psalm, he reflects on the horror
coming to his homeland. The Lord is going to send the Babylonians to
crush Judah, due to Judah's willful estrangement from the Lord. As
Habakkuk contemplates the coming judgment, he reaffirms his faith,
trust and joy in the Lord in spite of the difficulties coming.

Habakkuk foresees the collapse of the market, the famine that is
coming and the loss of any possible affluence Judah has been
experiencing. They are going to be destroyed. As he anticipates these
things he proclaims his own personal fidelity, faith and joy in the
Lord, even in the midst of this destruction that is coming.

I think today we often have folks that fill churches who embrace the
Lord as long as things are going well. A message is preached that
since God loves us he wants us to "prosper", to be healthy and to
achieve "victory" in all aspects of our lives. Consequently, when
things go to hell in a hand-basket, many begin to question the Lord,
many begin to resent the loss of all they anticipated in "joining up".

Habakkuk was vexed by the sinfulness Judah had sunk to and asked the
Lord what he was going to do about it. The Lord told him he was going
to send the Babylonians, more wicked than the people of Judah, to
destroy Judah for her rebellion. As Habakkuk contemplated what was
coming, he reaffirmed in this prayer/psalm his confidence, his joy,
his faith in the Lord.

Nothing like a good disaster coming our way to prove those who truly
trust and love the Lord. As I read of the eschatological events (the
events headed our way in the future) we will face as this age draws to
a close, those of us who are alive and remain will have the
opportunity to express this very same faith in the midst of calamity
as did Habakkuk.

I am reminded my faith and joy does not rest on a steady stream of
goodies God may give, but upon his power and might to save us from his
own judgment as well as any difficulty we may be caught up in. Upon
his love that sent his Son to die for us, upon his demonstration to us
of his satisfaction of Jesus payment for our sins in his court through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Upon what we know of him, seen in
him, experienced from him in the Scriptures and in our lives.

May we all emulate the faith, the trust, the joy of Habakkuk when we
are caught in the midst of difficult times.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

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Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com