Do Not Despair
god is always there…
2 Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. 17 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, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 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 3:2,17-19~
as pastor spoke about if just one person in our community becomes saved, it would be worth it. what these verses remind me is that we have to tell everyone we love about Jesus - who He is, what He has done for us, and the importance of a personal relationship with Him. as today’s teaching in church covered, we should come to the feet of Jesus, listening and learning, then praying for all those around us who do not know Our Lord and Savior.
habakkuk speaks of rejoicing regardless of all the terrible things going around him, the trials and tribulations, the enemy, the sinful ways and wickedness of the world. even through the most challenging of times, he chooses to delight and take pleasure in The Lord, Our God despite the circumstances he faced because he placed his trust in God alone. how many of us can say that - whether in the past, right now, or even in the future, you would do the same?
the reference in verse 19 - strength and deer’s feet:
i relate this to The Lord is my strength when i am weak. He, alone, takes me to places higher than i can imagine and do on my own.
when you hear of or read multiple teachings and stories of faithful men and women who faced incredible challenges and difficult trials that still trusted, believed in God to get them through it all, it is hard to not want to do the same. it can be challenging if you fully haven’t surrendered your life to Christ, where you want to see proof before you consider doing so.
The Word of God continues to live on, instructing us, The Holy Spirit guiding us, and that is where we can grow our faith. as pastor pat talked about today, we gotta get into the Word, do our devotions to allow that time to have God speak to us and for us to listen carefully.
when prompted and given the opportunity, i want to tell whoever is in front of me the goodness and mercy of God, how much He loves them, and the life we can live when we follow Jesus. it is so important for all of us to do the same.
dear Heavenly Father, may i learn to rejoice regardless of what is going on around me. whether i am dealing with an issue that is financial, mental, physical, or even emotional, may i always run to you. help me to trust you and that i can continue to stay encouraged, knowing you will always be there, will come after me, will watch over my family and i. i truly love you Lord and release and fear and apprehension of letting go areas of my life to you. have your way in me, my family, and those that i love. in you alone, Christ Jesus, i pray, amen!