Ready:
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The LORD my Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!” – Habakkuk 3:17-19
Set:
Have you ever had a season like Habakkuk was describing in the verses above? Maybe in the sport world it’d be more like: Though the bases aren’t loaded, and the rosters are lacking talent and skill, though there are no timeouts left and there are yellow cards left and right, yet I will celebrate in the LORD. Though every one of my star players have fouled out and the subs have never played more than five minutes in a game, I will rejoice in God.
Any negative scenario you might come up with on the field or off, none of it has the authority over your ability to rejoice in the Lord. Because He’s the God of our salvation, not the results of a game or season. We could have the worst season of our lives and still be able to rejoice in the God of our salvation because we don’t put our hope in outcomes, we put it in the unchangeable God who loves us. When He is our strength, nothing is too hard for us to go through.
Just because we are facing trials and difficulty in our lives, that doesn’t mean God’s power is diminished. We often question God, asking Him if He’s so powerful, then why in the world are things so hard? These three verses show us what a person looks like that is walking by faith. It’s encouraging to see that God is patient with us as we walk by faith daily. The good news is that God will never leave or forsake us as we walk through the dry or unfruitful seasons of life. And He never leaves us without joy because He is where the joy is (John 15:11).
No, Habakkuk couldn’t find joy in the fig tree, the olive crop, or the flocks but He could find joy in his unchangeable God. So can we.
Go:
Is your joy dependent on the comfort of things going well in your life/season?
When God doesn’t explain the “why” behind a dry or unfruitful season in your life, how can you move forward from demanding answers to trusting His will for your life?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Dear Heavenly Father, You are the God of every season. Thank you for never changing and being the One constant for all of us since before time began. You know my anxious what if’s. Please reveal Yourself to me in the dry seasons. I want to know You more, LORD. In Jesus' name, amen.”