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Rejoice in the Lord despite sufferings or disappointment

“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 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. The Lord God is my strength; and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places” (Hab.3: 17-19).

Let us meditate on the above Scripture portion prayerfully. Prophet Habakkuk starts his prophetic book posing a question to none but God Himself, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” But he ends the book affirming his faith in God.

Dearly beloved in Christ Jesus, the fig tree which you expect to blossom after a long wait may not blossom, despite your best efforts in your field of work or mission field. Nor there may be fruit on the vines. The fruit of your hard labor in your life or in the vineyards of God may fail despite your earnestness and perseverance. The labor of the olive may fail. Whatever you earn out of your business/career may not be forthcoming, notwithstanding your hard and sincere work.

The fields may yield no food. The material blessings that you long for may not be forthcoming, in spite of your earnest prayers. The fields in which you work may not yield the desired fruit. In your evangelical field, you may not be able to win souls despite your best efforts and prayers. The flock may be cut off from the fold. There may be a terrible and unexpected loss in your business due to certain unforeseen circumstances. There may be no herd in the stalls. There may not be a single penny in your pocket or in your bank for God’s ministry. There may be no enough bank balance to continue to run your school or orphanage. Are you prepared to face such a misfortune in your life?

In the event of any of the above calamities affecting your life, what will be your reaction? Like a hen, which sits on its eggs patiently with a lot of great expectation, you are patient enough to await His blessings. If the expectation fails to take shape in its due time, where will be your faith in God?

The Word of God does not predict that you are going to be hit by any of these misfortunes. However, the question is whether you will believe God in the likely event of any of such misfortunes befalling you. Are you prepared to trust Him even in such adverse circumstances by joining Habakkuk in saying, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation”? We trust God when every goes well with us. God might not have answered some of your prayers for long. “ The word “Yet” makes a lot of meaning to the people of God. Like Habakkuk, you must have complained to God, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” Notwithstanding this, will you affirm your faith in God today by saying, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of salvation” You should end up in affirming your faith in God by saying, “The Lord God is my strength; and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places”. One day, you will definitely walk upon your high places in this very world.

by Job Anbalagan