Guest Blogger - Gordon Fiss
Paul said to the Christians at Philippi, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice.” (Phil.4:4)
I have been enjoying my time with the Lord while spending more time at home than I would normally. Face to face visits and interactions have obviously been curbed beyond what any of us imagined could be at the beginning of the year. I am missing our face to face interaction and mutual encouragement between us and speaking on Sunday to a camera just isn’t the same.
When we consider the shear magnitude of what is going on around us, around the country, and around the world, it might be easy to be dismayed at life as we know it.
As I read through the book of Habakkuk this week I realized that in some respects Habakkuk felt this way too about what he was seeing all around him. In the midst of all the existing chaos and coming destruction for Israel Habakkuk focused in on what is paramount for each one of us to do. In Habakkuk 3:17-19 he concludes his book by saying:
17 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— 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 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. Our circumstances may change but the truth and reality of it all is that God never changes. He is worthy, He is in control and that never changes. He is the same yesterday today and forever. I consider that I came to Him with nothing to offer and in return He has blessed me with eternal life. It was provided by His grace to me through faith in the Lord Jesus whose intercessory substitutionary death at Calvary paid my death sentence in full. How can I not rejoice in Him at all times and in all circumstances?
Habakkuk concluded that regardless of what was going on in His life, regardless of what may lie ahead, he would still choose to “rejoice in the Lord.” He would “joy in the God of his (my) salvation.” The Lord was his strength and he knew that he would be well secured for all eternity in spite of what lay ahead.
In the days before us may we each find joy in the Lord and may we each rejoice in the Lord always. He is worthy of our praise adoration and worship. He is our source of strength in every situation. Amen.
- graphic by Jerry Attrick, freeimages.com
