“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,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.”
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (emphasis mine)
I have always loved this passage. Habakkuk the prophet had the right attitude. He chose to praise God and rejoice in Him, regardless of his circumstances...no matter how dreary and depressing they were. We often cannot control what will happen to us or what trials we will face but we can control our attitudes and reactions. Though...(fill in the blank with whatever troubling you: eg. health problems, relationship problems, death of loved ones, financial crisis, etc.), yet God is still Who He is and still in control and still loves us and cares about us. Therefore, we can choose to always trust in Him and rejoice in Him. He is our Lord. He is our Savior. He is our Strength.
Let's choose joy and commit to walk in joy no matter what's going on around us. Let's look to God who is our Source of joy, instead of fretting over our situations.
Lord, please help us to have a thankful & joyful heart/attitude even through our difficult times. Please enable us to bear hardships and endure trials while reminding us, Lord, that You're with us through it all.
"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful." Psalm 68:3
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4
"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness." Isaiah 61:10a
Note: Please turn off my music playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the video.
This post is linked up with In 'Other' Words @MiPa's Monologue, Brag on God Friday @Beholding Glory, Spiritual Sundays, Sharing His Beauty @The Beauty in His Grip, Playdates with God at The Wellspring, and "Hear It, Use It" @Graceful.
Hello and Happy Tuesday! So glad to connect with you again through "In Other Words." I love these verses, too, and it is such a joyous encouragement to be reminded that we can choose to trust and rejoice no matter what our circumstances. Hope to connect with you again soon! Nina @ mamas*little*treasures
ReplyDeleteNow THAT'S the right attitude!! I'm choosing joy today, too. God is beside us wherever we go. He will lift us up and strengthen us, giving us the courage to face whatever is before us. My joy is in Him!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Joan
There are certainly days that I must make a deliberate decision to choose joy! Thank you for all these beautiful scriptures to remind me why ;). Love to you.
ReplyDeleteAmen, I choose joy.
ReplyDeleteAmen. Well said Karen. It is so much more than the "though"...the CHOOSE JOY is the most important choice we can make in facing situations. Thanks for joining the IOW conversation this week.
ReplyDeleteThis really encouraged me today! Thank you and God bless.
ReplyDeleteThis post reminds me of a little book my now grown daughter wrote when she was only in 2nd grade entitled "Choosing Your Feelings". There were times when we would remind her of what she had written, and she would say, "I wish I had never written that book!" LOL!
ReplyDeleteChoose joy... reguardless. Good word my friend. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for linking up, I'm blessed. :)
So true that we need to realize that God is worthy of our praises even when our life is turned upside down. But in the midst of the trial and sorrow, sometimes it is hard to remember. Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Janis
I love this scripture too. We sang a song with these words in choir several years ago. It was a different one from the one in the video. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Charlotte
Thank you for the reminder to choose JOY! Too many go around chhosing the opposite option! :^) patsy
ReplyDelete