“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: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

You might not have turned to the Book of Habakkuk in quite a while. In fact, if in a service your pastor were to say, “Please take your Bibles and turn to the Book of Habakkuk,” would you easily be able to find it? I understand. However! There are tremendous principles for us to glean from this book. Habakkuk wrote during the worst of times for his nation. One of the things that the prophet emphatically declared was that God is the source of his joy. Habakkuk listed six things that were absolutely essential for Israel’s economy. He then went on to write that if all six essentials should fail, he would still rejoice in the Lord. Imagine! Today if the stock market, the financial institutions, the currency, the retirement plans, and everything related to these matters should all fail, what should we do? We believers surely would have quite an adjustment to make, true, but also opportunities to encourage the devastated to trust in the Lord and stay focused on the source of our joy—the Lord! Do you have such a relationship with Him? That is what the Lord greatly desires for each of us.

For today: Lord, please help me to remember that your people have found genuine joy in You, even in the worst of times