| Keeping the Joy Oct. 8, 2008 |
Habakkuk 3:17-19 NKJV 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. 19 The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. Habakkuk knew what it was like to keep the joy in times of distress. Knowing that he would be attacked by the Babylonians and that they would soon destroy his homeland was a heavy weight on his shoulders. And even though he took his questions to God, Habakkuk still had a choice to make, he had to make the decision not to let the troublesome times get the best of him, he had to keep the joy. Such is the same with the believer. God never promised us that this Christian walk would be easy, if anything he promised the opposite. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33). We do not have to be a victim of our circumstances. We will all face times that can cause us to be discouraged, but no matter how hard times may be we can rejoice, because God will come. God may not come in a way that we expect him, but expect him to come. Since God will come and help us in our times of heartache, we can rejoice and say something very similar to what Habakkuk said, but in our own words: There may be no money in the bank, and no fancy clothes on my back, I may not live in a big house, and I may not have diamonds on my wrist, I may not drive fancy cars, and I may not have designer shoes, but I still can rejoice in the Lord, the God of my salvation. That my friend, is a reason to keep the joy. PRAYER FOR THE WEEK Lord, teach me to realize, that you know what you're doing. I hope you enjoyed reading the word of God in a new light. Have a Happy Wednesday! God Bless, Minister Tommy and Sister Shatika Gray |