Habakkuk 3:17-19 Even though the fig trees are all destroyed, and there is neither blossom left or fruit, and though the olive crops all fail, and the fields lie barren; even if the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy in the God of my salvation. The Lord is my Strength and He will give me the speed of a deer and bring me safely over the mountains!
How I love that scripture! It reminds me of a Psalm, the way it lays out all the true hardships YET, ends with joy being expressed to God for His salvation and strength! These words ring true even in today's circumstances and can be a great encouragement for us to remember that life will be a hard climb but God will get us safely over the mountains!
Having a belief in God is like standing on a high rock when the flood waters come. We have chosen wisely and are grateful for His protection. However, I find that our mind-set in times of trouble can be our truest joy or our unfortunate demise. Anyone can instinctively grab their family or simply run with a basic self-preservation mind-set to a place of safety. Then, with a sigh of relief, thank God. It is the unshakable faith however, of a mature believer who dwells in thoughts of God's goodness and has joy throughout the journey. The trip they take through hard times is sprinkled with words of hope, kindness to others, tough stands of faith, tears of gratitude, words of encouragement, wise decisions, patience and times of prayer. Rather than plowing through life avoiding a deeper connection with the Savior the mature believer has learned through his "relationship" with Jesus to follow Him and trust Him throughout the journey.
I seriously spent most of my life with zero patience. I went from annoyed to freak out in seconds! My emotions ruled me! Yet, as I grew in my relationship with God over the years I went from a child who felt like everything was out of control to a woman who knew God had complete control. I've come to realize lately though that as long as "I" can keep most things under control that my faith seems pretty stable. As I re-read Habakkuk's prayer/song I can clearly see my worst fear and that is to have everything around me falling apart! There are some major situations going on in our lives right now but unlike Habakkuk, we have groceries. When I look out from our circumstance I see a house that is up on repairs, cars that just had oil changes, yards and gutters that are cleaned up....However, Habakkuk only saw despair as he gazed out. Barns empty, failed crops, barren fields and not even a blossom of hope on the fig tree! Habakkuk declares, "YET, I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as the deer, and able to tread upon heights." I WANT THAT KIND OF FAITH!
Or do I??? Faith is a muscle and it only grows stronger with use. We DO NOT grow outside the presence of pain and who wants that! I'll take a full barn and bountiful crops any day. But, there is something to be said for hard times. It is in those times that I ran to Jesus and found out not only how precious I am to Him but how precious He is to me. In my pain is where my most tender moments with Christ have taken place. The deeper the pain, the deeper His love touched me. He has wiped tears from my eyes, held me still when I couldn't stop shaking and sat with me when I was so alone. Most importantly though, He understood me when no one else could. I don't know why such ugly things happen on this earth except for the fact that it is a sinful world right now. I do know however that I NEVER want to go through anything without my Lord Jesus. I don't blame Him for pain, I blame Satan because it is sin that destroys. One day very soon the hammer of justice will come down on evil and there will be no more sorrow or tears. Until that day I am clinging to my Savior and all I can do is pray that we all will learn to praise Him in times of trouble rather than blame Him. That, dear ones is my prayer.
Footnote:
I have started back at the gym recently and anyone who works out knows that there are no results without commitment and follow-through. It is the same with our spiritual growth as we read our bibles, have fellowship with other believers, get empowered in our prayer time and seek God in stillness. As we do the hard work of drawing near to God through these acts of faith we will see the growth and strength in our attitude and behaviors. Then, the work of God becomes fruitful as others see Christ in us and we can share the good news.
How I love that scripture! It reminds me of a Psalm, the way it lays out all the true hardships YET, ends with joy being expressed to God for His salvation and strength! These words ring true even in today's circumstances and can be a great encouragement for us to remember that life will be a hard climb but God will get us safely over the mountains!
Having a belief in God is like standing on a high rock when the flood waters come. We have chosen wisely and are grateful for His protection. However, I find that our mind-set in times of trouble can be our truest joy or our unfortunate demise. Anyone can instinctively grab their family or simply run with a basic self-preservation mind-set to a place of safety. Then, with a sigh of relief, thank God. It is the unshakable faith however, of a mature believer who dwells in thoughts of God's goodness and has joy throughout the journey. The trip they take through hard times is sprinkled with words of hope, kindness to others, tough stands of faith, tears of gratitude, words of encouragement, wise decisions, patience and times of prayer. Rather than plowing through life avoiding a deeper connection with the Savior the mature believer has learned through his "relationship" with Jesus to follow Him and trust Him throughout the journey.
I seriously spent most of my life with zero patience. I went from annoyed to freak out in seconds! My emotions ruled me! Yet, as I grew in my relationship with God over the years I went from a child who felt like everything was out of control to a woman who knew God had complete control. I've come to realize lately though that as long as "I" can keep most things under control that my faith seems pretty stable. As I re-read Habakkuk's prayer/song I can clearly see my worst fear and that is to have everything around me falling apart! There are some major situations going on in our lives right now but unlike Habakkuk, we have groceries. When I look out from our circumstance I see a house that is up on repairs, cars that just had oil changes, yards and gutters that are cleaned up....However, Habakkuk only saw despair as he gazed out. Barns empty, failed crops, barren fields and not even a blossom of hope on the fig tree! Habakkuk declares, "YET, I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as the deer, and able to tread upon heights." I WANT THAT KIND OF FAITH!
Or do I??? Faith is a muscle and it only grows stronger with use. We DO NOT grow outside the presence of pain and who wants that! I'll take a full barn and bountiful crops any day. But, there is something to be said for hard times. It is in those times that I ran to Jesus and found out not only how precious I am to Him but how precious He is to me. In my pain is where my most tender moments with Christ have taken place. The deeper the pain, the deeper His love touched me. He has wiped tears from my eyes, held me still when I couldn't stop shaking and sat with me when I was so alone. Most importantly though, He understood me when no one else could. I don't know why such ugly things happen on this earth except for the fact that it is a sinful world right now. I do know however that I NEVER want to go through anything without my Lord Jesus. I don't blame Him for pain, I blame Satan because it is sin that destroys. One day very soon the hammer of justice will come down on evil and there will be no more sorrow or tears. Until that day I am clinging to my Savior and all I can do is pray that we all will learn to praise Him in times of trouble rather than blame Him. That, dear ones is my prayer.
Footnote:
I have started back at the gym recently and anyone who works out knows that there are no results without commitment and follow-through. It is the same with our spiritual growth as we read our bibles, have fellowship with other believers, get empowered in our prayer time and seek God in stillness. As we do the hard work of drawing near to God through these acts of faith we will see the growth and strength in our attitude and behaviors. Then, the work of God becomes fruitful as others see Christ in us and we can share the good news.
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