Saturday, September 2, 2006
Habakkuk 3:18 I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my
salvation.
JOY IN THE LORD
The current events we read about in the papers and hear about on TV
or radio can be saddening and even tragic. War continues in the
middle east, trouble escalates with Korea, disasters take many lives
in Indonesia, children are kidnapped, students kill other students,
and the list goes on. It can be very discouraging to hear the news.
Throughout the world and even in our own country sin seems to be
spreading rampantly.
Like Habakkuk, we may at times become discouraged by the state of our
worlds affairs. He begins by questioning God because of the seeming
injustice in the world and among his fellow Jews. But as we progress
through this book we see a progression of Habakkuk's life of faith.
Through God's Word Habakkuk's faith in the LORD is strengthened to
the point that He is able to say, "Though the fig tree may not
blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may
fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off
from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls Yet I will rejoice
in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (3:17-18).
Habakkuk placed His trust in the LORD, knowing that He was in
control, and that even this destruction at the hands of the
Babylonians would be done for the salvation of His people. "You went
forth for the salvation of Your people, For salvation with Your
Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, By laying
bare from foundation to neck" (2:13).
May God also grant us a faith like that of the prophet Habakkuk in
these evil days. May we take comfort in our salvation from sin and
death by the LORD's Anointed, and rejoice in the God of our
salvation!
Certainly there is much that we can learn from the Biblical History
recorded for us by the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. May we be
eager students of our religious history, and learn from the examples
of our religious forefathers. May our teacher, the Holy Spirit,
continue to instruct us through His Old and New Testament Word!
