Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the
labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock be
cut off from the fold, and there 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
Your life is falling apart and it seems that God has abandoned you. Your
plans have come to nothing, bills are due and you don't have the money to pay
them, your friends seem to have no time for you and your car is close to
breaking down.
At times like this, it's so easy to wonder where God is and if He even cares
for you. Where will the money to pay tomorrow's bill come from? What will
you do if your car breaks down? What does your future hold? Habakkuk was a
prophet who lived in a time when the king of Judah was leading his people down
a path of destruction and godlessness, and his world was falling apart around
him. God had shown Habakkuk that Judah would soon be invaded by the
Babylonians, and Habakkuk had reason to fear.
Yet, in spite of that, Habakkuk chose to trust God, to rejoice in Him in the
middle of his troubles. Even when all around him seemed hopeless, Habakkuk
hoped. In our lives, when all seems hopeless, we have every reason to rejoice
and trust God to take care of us. Our feelings may tell us that God has
abandoned us, that He doesn't care, but our feelings are not reliable. Our
feelings don't change who God is. God promised to be with us, and His
promises are true - He's the same yesterday, today and forever, and He doesn't
lie.
So, when you worry and struggle with fear, choose to rejoice in the Lord, to
joy in the God of your salvation - He never changes, and He will never leave
you or forsake you.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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