Hope in the Midst of It All

Habakkuk 3:17-19

¹⁷ 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, 

¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

    I will be joyful in God my Savior. 

¹⁹ The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

   he enables me to tread on the heights. 

Shalom!

May the glory of God fill your heart and be transformed in his Presence as we start this week!

Let’s dive a bit into the word of God; and it starts with “Though the fig tree does not bud,……, there are no grapes on the vines,….olive crop fails,…..Yet I will rejoice in the Lord”. Let’s pause a bit.

 This doesn’t look like a good situation; it’s not the comfort, the blessings, the prosperity I am looking for! It’s quite the opposite! If we read closely and try to relate it to our modern world, it looks like, though my business is failing, though my marriage is failing, though I am not prospering as I desire, despite all the struggles and hardships, I will rejoice in the Lord.

“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold ”, says Job.

Yes, God allows the hardships, the trials, the losses and the crisis to happen. Not because he hates you but because he wants to bring something good from it. Firstly, God knows you, he never forgot about you; he gave his only son Jesus so he could give you eternal life; yes He still cares about you!, Secondly, God has a purpose in whatever crisis you are going through, our minds tries to grasp and understand what He could be doing, but God’s ways surpasses our level of understanding, the bible says: “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” I might also add, so you do not know what shall come forth from your trials. Lastly, only precious metals are put through the fire, and you are God’s precious son and daughter; you won’t come out as ash but as a precious,honorable vessel in His kingdom. 

When we are at our “crisis hot seat”, when the problems, accusations, trials are like shooting arrows in our lives. That’s when the devil’s whispers are loud enough to lead us astray; once the wife of Job said: “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die! ”. And it is so relatable in our lives that we feel like giving up, walking away, turning our backs on God or finding rescue on our own. But today, I encourage you: “Don’t give up on God because he won’t give up on you!”.  

And yes, rejoice in the Lord for he is with you. Rejoice in him for He shall save you from all harm and shall watch over you. If God watches over every sparrow, how much more will he watch over his own.  Rejoice in him for he is your strength; in him we have victory. Rejoice in him, for he steadies our steps and makes us bold to tread on the heights. He is our solid rock. 

Bible Passages:

• Habakkuk 3:17-19
• Job 23:10
• John 3:16
• Ecclesiastes 11:5
• Job 2:9