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Habakkuk 3:17-19 says:
17 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,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
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,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
Habakkuk didn't understand God's ways. It seemed that evil and wickedness prevailed in that time and that God did nothing. He eventually came to a point of trusting God's timing and ways.
This past year has been a time of uncertainty for me. I like to plan and dream. What will my life be like next year?
I don't know.
I've learned what it is to have plenty.
And I've learned what it is to have nothing.
I've seen people seem to get away with lies and deceit.
But I've learned that God sees all and knows all. He looks into the heart and motives of a person.
And so as I patiently wait ...I choose to rejoice.
How do I do this?
- I've learned to be on the lookout for the everyday blessings even in the midst of uncertainty
- I've learned to rejoice in the relationship I have with God through Jesus
- I've learned that material possessions are temporary and can easily be taken away
- I've learned to be grateful for all I have
- I've learned that God is faithful to provide what I need
- I've learned that God is my strength
- I've learned to allow God to work in me and through me for His purposes
- I'm learning ...to trust God by faith.
I'm linking up with Loni of Writing Canvas for In Other Words Tuesday.
Blessings and love,
I'm learning those things too Debbie. But I admit I believe I have a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteWonderful thoughts today. It was a pleasure to read this. Something I need to be reminded of often. Have a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! It is a choice to rejoice! It is so easy to focus on the difficulties in our lives, but when we choose to look to Him and our blessings, He opens the door to joy. Thanks for the encouragement today!
ReplyDeleteLiving for Him, Joan
Great reminder! Choosing to rejoice with you!
ReplyDeleteBlessings and prayers,
andrea
Such a timely post for me this morning! Thank you so much for yielding to the Holy Spirit that I may receive encouragement and instructions through your blog ...Hugs
ReplyDeleteNice post, I wrote about one of my favorite quotes on my blog today.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have always liked about that verse is the "YET." He goes into all the bad things going on and then he says, "YET I will praise and rejoice in the Lord." We can all list all the "bad" stuff going on but do we get to the "YET" part. Thanks for bringing up that verse to me again.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite passages and it is a reminder that no matter what, God is in control and He is to be trusted and we can, despite everything, continue to praise and rejoice in Him.
ReplyDeleteI like how Karen applied it that, "He goes into all the bad things going on and then he says,"Yet I will praise and rejoice in the Lord."
As Christians, we have so many reasons to rejoice and hope and yet we can choose to focus on that or choose to focus on everything that is wrong and sadly, in the process, miss out on so much of life's blessings.
Love this!!
Thank you for sharing this! It is DEFINITELY a choice . . . and Iknow some of my grumpy days would be so much better if I would choose otherwise! Thanks for the encouragements! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dear, a good post for me ~
ReplyDeleteLove you~
And there you have it Debbie! NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND US... God still holds all the strings, and He alone is worthy of our trust. What invaluable lessons you are learning my sweet sister!! :)
ReplyDeletexo
I've always loved that passage in Habakkuk. "Though...(fill in the blank), yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength!" We can always rejoice in who He is, in spite of our circumstances. Thanks for sharing with us what you've learned.
ReplyDeleteDebbie,
ReplyDeleteI, too, have found myself in a season of waiting. Maybe my post "Waiting on Pearls" will encourage you. I know yours and your Bible verses have certainly brightened my day. Thanks for sharing her heart so candidly.
Susan
I have also learned to rejoice in the Lord always and have seen a great change in my attitude and life. The verse from Habakkuk has been a favorite for years now.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Sandy
You were right on today and you words were such an encouragement to me....Learning to trust God's timing in everything has been a challenge for me but He continues to be patient with me......
ReplyDeleteGratitude and thanksgiving is definitely the answer and keeping our focus on our Savior.....Thank you.....
Great post Debbie! It is so hard to rejoice sometimes even though I know in my heart it is my only choice. This year has certainly shown me to rejoice in all circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI'm always blessed when by your posts. Hugs!
Debbie, I don't know why, but whenever I read this passage of scripture, my eyes mist over and I just want to cry.
ReplyDeleteIt tugs at my heartstrings, as I have been there and have learned with spiritual maturity, that whatever I am going through, there is a Word from God to take me through.
God Bless you for sharing, this means so much to me today.
YET, I will always praise and rejoice with thanksgiving.
Choosing to rejoice during the darkest times is not an easy feat. But to know Jesus and what He had done gives us no option but to do so. So as we both face whatever adversity we're in, I'm also choosing to rejoice with you dear sister. That is the right thing to do and I'm glad you reminded me...God bless and be strong in the Lord's mighty power!
ReplyDeleteThese verses were so special to me during a very LONG period of unemployment for my husband a year and a half ago.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter sent me a link to Don Moen singing I Will Sing as an encouragement. Here is the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W1EdvUfaRY&feature=related