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Rejoice In the Lord Always

 

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  Habakkuk 3:18

 

It seems like so many bad things are happening around us.  Terrorism comes to the home front.  We watch as schools, daycares, office buildings and churches are assaulted.  Are we safe anywhere?  Even the weather seems violent, tornadoes, tsunamis and flooding.  The earth…quakes somewhere almost every week.  We take cover and hope for the best.

 

Fear not, Habakkuk of the Bible faced fears and threats he had no control over either.  Life in Judah was filled with terrible violence.  Habakkuk cried out to the Lord.  He couldn’t understand why God allowed so much evil to continue.  God’s answer; the Babylonians would rise up and conquer Judah!  A worse evil was about to destroy Judah.

 

Not knowing when God’s wrath would strike, the Jews waited.  Habakkuk became physically ill.  He wrote: “When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.” Habakkuk 3:16.

 

Homes, possessions, cattle and families would be swept away by the evil force of the Babylonians.  Habakkuk’s circumstances went from bad to worse.  “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  Habakkuk 3:17-18.  What does Habakkuk do?  What would you do?

 

Does Habakkuk become bitter and cry “Not Fair!”  No, Habakkuk remembers God is in control.  He also remembers the deeds that God had done in the past.  All throughout Habakkuk’s prayer, he praises God…for His beauty…His deeds…His strength.  God brought a peace to Habakkuk that allowed him to wait patiently.

I hope you never face such perilous circumstances.  But, if you do, may the Prince of Peace, The Great I AM, give you strength to rejoice in times of great sorrow.  Will you say as Habakkuk said:  “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.”  Habakkuk 3: 18-19.

 

Written by Tammy Schlesinger

Used with Permission