When All Is Stripped Away

Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places. Habakkuk 3:17-19 (New American Standard Bible)

In a time and place when agricultural supply was a necessity this passage shows the bleakest of circumstances. Without the number of stores and safety nets we have available to us today, a famine or crop failure was devastating. No fruit, no yield, no flocks, and no cattle, meant no sustenance, source, or security. It would be the picture of the Great Depression in Biblical times. Some who are reading this devotional may at this time be without a job or facing the prospect of losing the job they have. It is one thing to know all is well when a paycheck is being drawn each week and there is money in the bank for needed expenses. It is another thing to have all stripped away and no relief in sight.

God’s answer to Israel through Habakkuk is His answer to us as well. Rejoice in Him. See Him as our salvation and strength. See Him as the One who will help us walk above and beyond our circumstances. He is not weakened or limited by what is going on around us. Many times, when all is well, we can easily take our eyes off God and rest in a false sense of security. We can forget who He really is and all that He can do in our life. When what or who we trust in apart from God is removed (temporarily or permanently) we are forced to see what our opinion of God really is.

I will admit, I have never been financially destitute. I have never been given a devastating medical report. I have never been in dire straights morally. I have never been stripped of honor and dignity. But I have been emotionally bankrupt and wondered if the darkness would ever leave or even diminish. At that time, I had to reevaluate my dependency, trust, and view of God. I had to stay in His Word and see His unchanging nature. I had to view my situation through the grid of His truth and presence. I had to see that at all times I was still in His hands and under His care. In order to rejoice in Him and in His promises, I had to pull in closer to Him. Whether the situation is in the area of the physical, spiritual, social, mental, or emotional, seeing that He is still God and still in control is the only means of survival and abundant living.

Father, though the things and people around me change, You do not. You are my Source. You are my Security. You are my Provider. You are my God and I praise You and rejoice in You. Amen.

You're Still God - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvclzwpAMxg

Holiness is a furnace that transforms the men and women who enter it. - Eugene H.Peterson

The Ache of Limited Supply

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, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:17-18 (New International Version)

At the time of this writing of Scripture, crops and live stock were essential to ones survival and well being. A crop failure and loss of animals could be a matter of life and death. So I am struck by the closing remarks. When the supply is gone, when the sustenance of life is unavailable, rejoice and be joyful in God. I cannot say I have ever been completely without food or the bare essentials of life. I have never been in a situation where I literally did not know where my next meal was coming from. Yet as I read this passage my mind went to that which I so often rely upon….the emotional support of others. How well do I do when that support seems to be unavailable? How quick am I to rejoice in my Lord, my God, and my Savior?

This past weekend I enjoyed an opportunity to visit with a number of friends in Michigan. Some I had not seen in a number of months and some I had not seen in decades. The fellowship was sweet. The visits were encouraging. With each visit I felt loved, welcomed, and wanted. I walked away spiritually encouraged and emotionally saturated. Yet when the weekend came to a close and I was on my way back to Indianapolis, it felt as if something was slowly leaking out of me. When I was no longer face to face with sources of encouragement some longings began to resurface. Thoughts of other relationships came to mind and with them came feelings of insecurity, loneliness, and the thought I had been forgotten. Was I rejoicing then? Was I joyful in God my Savior? Not hardly! I was experiencing the all too familiar ache that comes when my external world is unable to sooth my internal world.

God had to remind me that although He will use people in profound ways in my life they cannot be who I look to in order to feel loved, whole, and healed. They cannot be my never ending source. He must be! That is when rejoicing and joy is possible. So when I am looking over the “fields” of familiar faces and the prospects of enjoying their company looks slim, I must realize that God is my present Help and constant Companion. Even when I don’t know where my next emotional meal is going to come from, He is my Source and Sustenance. In that I can rejoice! In that I can be joyful! In that I can rest!

Father, friends mean a lot to me. The absence of them affects me. You are my Friend who sticks closer than a brother. For Your unchanging ways, I praise You and joy in You! Amen.

A Love That Won't Walk Away - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uQGr4fa2Z0&feature=PlayList&p=F0BA1ACD8C2BFC55&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=32

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

The No Matter What of Rejoicing

Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation! The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! Habakkuk 3:17-19 (Amplified Bible)

Got the picture? No matter the circumstance, disappointment, loss, failure, or lack, rejoicing is possible…it is a choice! Why? Because it is based in who God is and what God does not in anything or anyone outside of Him. That which cannot be given to me by other avenues cannot be taken away from me by other avenues. Since God is my Strength, I am able to stand strong! Since God is my confidence, I am able to advance with my head held high! Since God is my army of defense, I am able to live life secure and protected. The storms of life and trials of this world do not determine my position, provision, or possessions. God does!

Today’s verse is the kind of verse I can slip ANY situation into and come out with the same result. No matter what I list behind the word “though” it can be followed by YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD! Why? Because He is my strength and the one who makes me to walk above the places of difficulty. He shelters me in any storm, holds me in any trouble, comforts me in any distress, accompanies me through any valley, and strengthens me in every moment. This is a passage of victory if ever I saw one!

I am struck by the fact that Habakkuk does not voice these truths after the situation has improved. He voices them as he realizes the possibility of a worse case scenario. What an example! Whether I look to the past and think on things that I would have chosen never to happen, I can still rejoice in the Lord. Whether I take stock of my present situation and see things that still have not changed or been resolved, I can still rejoice in the Lord. And whether I contemplate the many what if and if only moments of the future, I can still rejoice in the Lord.

God’s New Year resolution to me is always the same! He promises to be faithful, present, involved, righteous, and loving. That alone gives me reason enough to rejoice! Whatever lies ahead I will rejoice in Him!

Father, Your love has never been conditional. May mine not be either. I joy in the God that You are! Amen.

The Weight of Waiting

For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail: though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3 New American Standard Bible

Several years ago, God gave me a verse of promise. It was 2 Chronicles 25:9, “The LORD has much more to give you than this.” I had been on my journey with Him for a year, experienced His Word coming alive to me, seen changes taking place within me and around me, and had begun to see God for who He really was and what He was really like. So to have Him assure me that He had much more to give me than what He had already given me was powerful! Then came the season of waiting!

The most difficult part of waiting is when there seems to be no manifestations of the promises. I think back to when I wanted children. The waiting was hard when there was no pregnancy. I was filled with doubts as to whether or not I would even be able to bear children. But the waiting took on a different perspective when I became pregnant and awaited the delivery! The child growing in my womb was something tangible, felt, and evidenced in me. There was no more guessing, wondering, or doubting. It became just a matter of time.

God knows my tendency to grow discouraged when the waiting is without touchable, seen, and concrete areas along the way. So every once in awhile He sends a confirming reminder my way. He whispers encouragement through His Word, prayer, or even other believers. Last night and this morning He drew my attention to Habakkuk 2:3 and His words of “Wait for it; for it will certainly come,” spoke volumes to me. A quote from The Daily Bread brought assurance. It read, “God never says, ’Wait awhile,’ unless He is planning to do something in our situation--or in us. He waits to be gracious.” Occasionally someone will say to me, “God has big plans for you. He is doing something in you.” The wise advice of a godly woman came back to me this morning. In response to my question of what I should do during the wait, she said, “Just keep doing what you are doing. God will guide and open doors at the right time.” My Bible ancestors like David, Ruth, Joseph, and Moses are serving as personal reminders as well. Their waiting often covered decades!

This has been a weekend of reminders that I have needed. I am strengthened by the realization that God is always involved in my life and will eventually bring about His wishes, desires, and plans for me. The waiting time is not wasted time. I choose to rest in Him, cooperate with Him, learn from Him, and follow Him. He will not let me down!

Father, You hold my life and my heart in Your hands. Thank you for the assurance that You are not finished with me yet and that You continue to hasten toward the goal You have for me. I cling to You. Amen.

My Willful Choice

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

It seems that the hardest times to proclaim rejoicing and joy in Christ are when we face the harshnesses of life. The unfairnesses and injustices of this world sometimes paralyzes our faith. When needs go unmet, friends desert us, health fails us, or provisions are no where to be found, our view of God is suddenly exposed for what it really is.

When life gets difficult can I still proclaim the truths I voiced so easily during the good times? Do I still say God is good? Do I still trust Him? Do I still find my satisfaction and fulfillment through Him? Do I still feel like I am the apple of His eye and revel in the truth that my name is engraved in the palm of His hand?

It is in the midst of difficult moments that those truths become more precious to me than ever before. I must not look at God through my gird of uncomfortable circumstances but rather I must look at the circumstances through the grid of truth about God.

I have found great strength during my seasons of doubting when I began to voice out loud the truths about God. My circumstances and feelings do not change who God is and how He feels toward me one bit.

So like Habakkuk, when life is not going well and all seems to be hopeless, I choose to rejoice in the Lord and joy in my God. I choose to continue to believe I am in his care and sheltered by His arms. I choose to believe God and praise Him at ALL times!

Father, sometimes I have to proclaim these truths in sheer faith. Amen.