For many, December is an easy month to be joyful about. Because it can be a “magical” season full of loving and giving, most people can jump right into that idea with ease. But what if you aren’t having a good start to the month? Perhaps your car broke down. You lost your job. You can barely make ends meet let alone provide gifts for family members. Your family member is sick or has passed away. How can you maintain joy then?
Habakkuk knew what it was like to live in a time full of worries, not joy. He had never heard of the Savior’s birth and ultimate gift of salvation. All he knew was his present-day doom and that God had planned the punishment of his people for their sin. Soon things would never be the same. His homeland would be infiltrated by foreigners who would enslave and murder his people.
Imagine knowing the outlook of a bad future before it happened! And yet, Habakkuk ends his book about this bleak future as one that is being surrounded by the joy. How? Joy comes in knowing God is still reigning on his throne no maater what else happens.
Instead of moping, crying, or becoming outraged by his circumstances, Habakkuk chose to remain joyful, knowing that God controlled the universe and would continue to care for him even in the desperate times to come.
If Habakkuk could choose joy in his suffering, so can I, and you. It’s not about what we have but Who has us.
Dear Lord, thank you for coming to be our salvation. As we focus on that, let our problems disappear, and instead fill us with the joy that only you can give. Amen.
Go Deeper — Tell God that you will choose joy despite your circumstances. Thank him for what you have, choosing to see the good and focusing on God in order to experience true joy.
Read Further— My Messy Christmas shows how a flopped cake became a lesson in joy.
Photo Credit: Tim Mossholder