These verses in Habakkuk have long been among my favorites written by the Old Testament prophets. In spite of the famine and hardship that the Israelites were experiencing in the midst of an impending invasion by the Babylonians, the prophet makes a choice in verse 18, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” As I read these verses this week, I couldn’t help but identify with Habakkuk, but my list of things that I was facing looked very different.
Though I haven’t been able to see loved ones for months because of COVID isolations and lockdowns, and I haven’t been able to visit our daughter and our grandchildren because of border closures and travel restrictions, though we haven’t been able to meet as a church congregation because of limits on public gatherings, and though there are long lineups where there were no lineups before, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
I was struck again that regardless of the circumstances that I am currently facing during this global pandemic that won’t be ending any time soon, God has not changed. He is still the same God that spoke the world into being and spoke and calmed the wind and the sea.
How about you? Do you feel discouraged because you are so done with all the restrictions that you have been facing? Are you exhausted and just want life to return to what it once was? Maybe what you need to do today is just what these verses say, choose to change your focus. “Yet I will rejoice”, a matter of choice!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that you haven’t changed and you are still the same God as you always were. Even though I feel like my world has changed so much, you haven’t changed and so today in spite of everything I will choose to rejoice in You, Lord. I will be joyful! Amen!
Go Deeper — Take time to tell God about the things that you are struggling with today. Then, tell him, “yet I will rejoice” and choose joy today. Remind yourself often that God hasn’t changed even in the midst of this.
Photo Credit: Scott Webb