“Karen’s Notes!

Insights from a Glory-Bound Lady”

Selected Notes

Volume 2 Number 10 “Three Little Words”

March 6, 2019

As Karen’s illness grew greater, her trust in the Lord became even stronger, her confidence in God’s sovereignty grew deeper, and her words became fewer. This week, rather than going to her Bible study journal, I am actually holding her Bible and looking at a text that blessed her heart and life. She wrote only three words in the margin. However! These words bless me and remind me of the importance of having a Biblical perspective.

Let me share the text with you. It is from Habakkuk 3:17-18. “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: (then she underlined the next verse) Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk lists the six things in verse 17 that were absolutely essential in the economic life of Israel at the time of his writing. He states with profound faith that even if all these six things failed, he would by faith REJOICE IN THE LORD AND JOY IN THE GOD OF HIS SALVATION.

Karen wrote:  “Despite all difficulty.”

These three simple words were not written by a lady on vacation. They were not written by a lady in whose life everything was going according to her wishes and plans. “Despite all difficulty” was written by a lady who knew that the cancer was spreading, and the chemotherapy and sickness were so hard on her. “Despite all difficulty” I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Michael’s observation: I saw it lived out in her life. She didn’t enjoy the cancer, but she found great joy in knowing the Lord and trusting Him each day. Every day presented opportunities to intentionally choose to trust and from that came gentle, sweet joy. It can be true for us as well if we know Christ as our Savior and trust Him even in the hard times.