“Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
– Habakkuk 3:17-18
These verses come at the end of a series of hard conversations between the prophet and the Lord. Hard times were coming at the hands of the Babylonians. Not only was God permitting it, the coming season of devastation was actually the answer to Habakkuk’s prayers for justice to be done. The scourging of Israel would ultimately serve greater spiritual good.
This was a bitter pill for Habakkuk to swallow! Nonetheless, by the time this book concludes, Habakkuk rests in the knowledge that he can trust God. During times of barrenness and hunger. During times of emptiness and loss. During times of disappointment and failure. God is still good. He is ultimately trustworthy and faithful. He knows what is truly best across all of time and space. And so, Habakkuk can rejoice and essentially say, “Not my will but thine.” Habakkuk doesn’t rejoice in hardship or suffering. He rejoices in the Lord. He doesn’t take joy in hunger or war, he takes joy in the God Who saves Him.
Likewise, each of us will experience seasons of hardship and hurt in this life. There will be times of grief and desolation. They may be short or they may be long. They may be shallow or they may seem endlessly deep. Regardless of the season or situation, trust in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord Who saves you through His Son Jesus. Take joy in the God Who is always with you and in you through faith in Christ. Remember that one day, in Christ, every tear will be wiped away, our faith will be our sight, and our joy will be complete!