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I heard, and my heart pounded, my lips
quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I
will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.
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, I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be
joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk 3:16-18 (NIV)
After a conversation with God, Habakkuk prays. In that
prayer he speaks of destruction and torment on the earth. Toward the end of his
prayer Habakkuk describes his reaction to all he saw. He concludes that he will
wait patiently for the invaders of his land to receive calamity.
I see Habakkuk’s willingness to be patient as a gift from
God. Only God can give a person that quality.
Habakkuk then paints a bleak word picture of what he
believes his world will be like. Still, he says he will rejoice in the LORD,
joyful in God his Savior.
Since July of 2019, I have assisted a couple from my high
school graduating class keep track of those who have passed on. As of the day
before I write this, we have had 15 pass away since then, six of them this
year. We must praise God that they were some part of our school experience.
All believers must rest in the LORD during good times as
well as trying times.
Oh this is so needed right now. I often feel guilty when I rest during my days off but then I remember the Lord rested and it's good for me too. This verse from Habakkuk is so perfect for the times we're living in now. Similar verses were read at our prayer meeting last night. The Holy Spirit guided us all to pray for the chaos happening in the world right now. This verse from Habakkuk would have fit right in! John 16:33 "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!" Thank you Jesus!
ReplyDeleteCindy: Thank you for your thoughtful comments. The verse from Habakkuk has always made me stop and ponder it. Beside the COVID issues, some of us have had personal issues that have caused us to learn to trust the LORD even more. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
DeleteRest is very good for the soul and body. We need to allow ourselves to rest, especially when we are living in such turbulent times. So much sorrow all around us...people are dying every day here from Covid...much worse than last year ever was. Our kids have had a very rough past week but Praise God, with the infusion treatment they received, they are now on the upward swing. So very thankful. Now they just need to rest and get back their strength before they try to do too much. I hope they will listen to that advice... Have a blessed and wonderful day.
ReplyDeletePam: Yes, we need rest to build up our strength after an illness. God rested after He created the world, God sent His angels to minister to Elijah after he fell asleep under the broom tree (bush). Thankful to hear that your kids are slowly on the mend. Peace and blessings on all of you.
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