The Secret of Joy
Habakkuk 3:17-18
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The book of Habakkuk the prophet is one of the shortest books in the Old Testament, the first part of the Bible. In its three short chapters, we see an amazing change in his thinking. His first words in the book express deep despair, but at the end of the book he expresses great joy.
What caused this unusual change? Why did Habakkuk begin with a complaint and end with a song of praise? The answer lies in chapter 2. God told Habakkuk that He would judge the wicked. The Almighty also told the troubled prophet, "The just shall live by his faith" (v.4). God also promised that someday the earth would "be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (v.14). These powerful truths helped Habakkuk to overcome his deep depression. By fixing his eyes on God, he overcame his discouraging circumstances and he found lasting joy in the Lord. !
We look forward to that glorious time when Jesus will come to earth to set up His kingdom of peace and righteousness. Keeping our confidence in Him is the secret of true joy
Let us believe you keep your promises and wait for that day when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. Let us to fix our eyes on Jesus, so we also, like Habakkuk, can overcome our discouraging circumstances and experience lasting joy in You.
