I had the opportunity to teach
last week and I shared from a hymn in the book of Habakkuk and for some reason
even after that meeting, the word kept growing in my heart and is still doing
so. I thought to share some part of that message with you.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
17 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 may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls… 18
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
I know most of us grew up in the
name it and claim it era of Christianity and financial prosperity is a major
sign of a thriving relationship with God in our times. Unfortunately what this
has resulted in is a breed of Christians who have little or no tolerance for
adversity. So at the slightest emergence of anything that may seem like an
adversity, the response of many is to seek the easiest route out which most times
is one of compromise.
The scripture reference above
from the book of Habakkuk depicts a man in an agrarian society. The cycle
explained in verse 17 of chapter 3 of that book speaks to a year of absolutely
no harvest. His fields did not yield, his trees did not blossom, there were no
fruits from his vine and to crown it off there was no flock in his fold. Now let
me paint this picture in the light of our current day reality; imagine going to
work every day for a year and not receiving a single wage/salary in that year
despite all your effort/input/transportation to and fro work and you don’t get
paid at the end of the year.
I don’t know how Habakkuk did it
in his day, but I can tell you that the default reaction of most people will be
severe rage. Actually, I doubt the individual will still be coming to work
after 6 months of no pay.
However, look at Habakkuk’s
response in verse 18; he said; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in
the God of my salvation. I think it is the NIV version of verse 18 that says
Yet, I choose to rejoice… the prophet Habakkuk CHOSE to rejoice. He chose to joy in the God of his salvation.
I underline the word CHOOSE because this means that
circumstances were demanding a different response from him, but his reaction to
the circumstances on ground was a conscious one from his end, he chose to
respond in joy.
I don’t know what situation you
may currently find yourself in, I don’t know how grave that situation is, no
matter how bad it is, I call on you today to choose joy. Look that problem in
the face and consciously laugh out loud at it in joy. Let your joy be born out
of the knowledge of the salvation you were saved with in Christ. God saved you,
you are His and He is yours. He has promised that He will never leave nor
forsake you. The psalmist puts it this way; he said though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for You God are with me. Let your
joy be in God, He is with you watching over and keeping you.
So I compel you to choose joy
today. The word choose presupposes that you have an option how to respond to
your situation. You either respond in fear which in turn leads to depression et
al or you can choose to respond in JOY.
I choose JOY, what about you?
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