Habakkuk’s Hope—Day 2
Habakkuk 3: 17, 18
“Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the Lord.”
Our devotional passage this week could very easily be considered a hypothetical possibility. However, the truth is, these things did transpire. It was not famine or drought that caused such desolation, but the effect of war.
So often we can treat life as if misfortune is not possible for us. The truth is, anything can happen in our life that disrupts the very structures of our family and social orders of life. Perhaps some of us would fare well under such structural damage to our lives, but are we certain that we would handle such difficulties well?
Question: When our life structures are being threatened how well do we handle the threat? What is our behavior under such stressful conditions?
Most of us could probably maintain our composure when challenged, however, there are some challenges that pose a greater threat. Typically, the challenges that pose a greater threat to us are the ones that impact the very things that make our life stable.
Is not that what most of us desire, to live a stable life?
When those essential items that stabilize our life are challenged, what is our level of praise?
Does God have our undivided attention when our stability is being threatened? Or, are we preoccupied with recovering our stability that praise for God’s glory is minimized?
Although faced with an impending problem, Habakkuk was determined to praise God in spite of what he had, or did not have.
Our ability to maintain our composure is evidence of the faith we say we have.
Faith is never without proof. If we believe God, then we trust whatever he allows to take place no matter what it may cost us in suffering. Why, because contrary to what some demonstrate, God is our ultimate hope. When God is our hope life is never viewed as being hopeless.
Question: Through which lens do you view life’s troubles, hope or hopelessness?
Lord, thank you for being our hope. Because of you, our troubles are never as overwhelming as they seem, Amen.
