Thursday: God Is Our Strength
“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines;
Image © Janet Hyun from GoodSalt.com
though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; . . . Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; he will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” (Hab. 3:17-19, NKJV). What is so good about the prophet’s attitude here? How can we cultivate such an attitude for ourselves? See also Phil. 4:11.
The closing words in Habakkuk’s book (Hab. 3:16-19) express the prophet’s response to the revelation of God’s power and goodness. A fresh look on God’s saving acts sparks Habakkuk’s courage as he awaits the enemy attack. His fear stirs his innermost being as he waits for divine judgment to fall upon his nation. Invasion may result in the devastation of the fig and olive trees, so highly prized in Palestine along with the equally needed vines, grain, and cattle. But the prophet’s staunch faith remains untouched because he has had a vision of the living Lord.
Based on his past experiences, Habakkuk knew of God’s absolute faithfulness. That is why he resigned himself to God’s present purposes (Hab. 3:16-19). In spite of all the unfavorable circumstances, the prophet is determined to place his trust in the Lord and in His goodness no matter how hopeless his situation appears.
Habakkuk waits in faithful trust, even though there are no immediate signs of salvation. He is a prophet who, through dialogue, taunts, and a hymn of praise, has instructed the faithful over the ages to develop a deeper living faith in the Redeemer. By his own example, he encourages the godly to dialogue with God, to test their loyalty to Him in harsh times, to develop hope in the Lord, and also to praise Him.
Habakkuk closes his book with a beautifully expressed attitude of faith: regardless of how hard life may become, one can find joy and strength in God. The underlying message of his book points to the need to wait patiently for God’s salvation in a period of oppression that has no visible end. The theme of “waiting on the Lord” dominates Habakkuk’s book. How especially relevant that theme should be for us, as Seventh-day Adventists—we whose very name expresses our faith in the coming of Jesus.
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I have experienced and still experiencing the faithfulness of God. Indeed God is a merciful and loving God who can be relied on during the most difficult times in our life. My past experiences of His faithfulness and help gave me the courage and hope to face my daily battles.If we have God in our life, there's no room for fear, disappointment and discouragement. We can trust Him and that trust will give us strength to continue our life with hope and joy while we are waiting for Him. No one and nothing in this world can weaken us because God is the one that sustains us, the one from where comes our strength and help!
This is trying to help us, the Christians of today that are in very bad situations. We must stick to God's guidance, we must tell Him our problems. No matter what troubles might be, always believe that God is near to help you. Let's try Him today.
God is always our refuge. I am so thankful that I can look back like Habakkuk and see that He has always been faithful and that I can trust Him. When I go through a dry and trying season of life when nothing seems to be going "good" in my circumstances, I can still trust Him by His grace. If my health fails and I have no money for bills and food, I can still trust Him! I can still be carried near to my God because of Jesus and live in the high mountains by faith no matter what my circumstances may be. This state of joy and rejoicing in times of trouble is a miracle of God and not anything I can do apart from Him.
Amen Jackie Locke!....God remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself...Trust and obey is indeed the only way to be happy in Jesus! Romans 8 expresses it very well!
Some of us Christians just believe in God but lack the practical experience of being a child of God. There are a lot of Bible texts that if read, believed and hold on to it will make you like David, Job, Daniel and others.
nothing shall separate me from the goodness of the lord. Be it in poverty,war or loss of loved ones i will still stand and shout that God is good.
i have tested God 's love through my life. i have faced difficult circumstances but faith in God carries us through. lets be patient for our salvation is near.