“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Habakkuk 3:18 NIV

Yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord | Habakkuk 3:18

Philippians 4:4 tells us “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (NIV) Notice the Apostle Paul didn’t just say it once, but twice? That’s how important it is for us to rejoice in the Lord. There’s no redundancy here. We absolutely need these instructions to be repeated because, in our humanity, we can so easily forget.

It’s not always easy for us to rejoice in the Lord!

The prophet, Habakkuk, understood this as well. The very first chapter in the Book of Habakkuk opens up with his heartfelt cry to the LORD. He complained to the Lord, asking: “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?” (Hab 1:2-3 NIV)

This commentary from the NIV Grace and Truth Study Bible will help us to understand the context surrounding these verses: 

• As a prophet, Habakkuk is God’s authorized spokesman (v. 1). He bursts into a series of complaints to God. He had been praying for some time before this (v. 2) but felt that God did not hear. While it is sinful to complain about God to people (e.g., Nu 14:1–12), it is not sinful to direct one’s complaints to God (a lament). It actually shows faith in God that he can hear and act. Habakkuk asks why God has not acted to stop the injustice and wrongdoing in Judah, seen in rampant destruction, violence, strife, and conflict. What was God going to do?

I understand that Habakkuk, being a prophet, was lamenting to God on behalf of the entire nation of Israel. His complaints weren’t just for himself. But, as New Testament Believers, I believe each one of us has direct access to the Lord. And we can learn from Habakkuk’s story and apply these truths to our own individual lives. Additionally, the commentary above helps us to take heart that we have permission to lament to the Lord! It’s so encouraging to know we don’t have to hold it all in and pretend to be strong when we are not, amen?

I, too, have asked God “Why?” concerning different areas in my life. And I’ve asked “How long, Lord?” many times, too. There have been times I’ve asked in an accusatory way like, “Why!!??? Why are you letting this happen??” And other times I’ve asked in a humbler way, “God, how much longer will this go on because I don’t know how much longer I can do this?”

At times, life can be compared to a roller coaster ride. The ups and downs and twists and turns can cause our hearts to beat rapidly and our minds to become completely boggled. Even so, we can hold tight to the constant reassurance found in His Word.

The Lord is with us, so we can still rejoice.

This quote from Max Lucado reminds us that although our perceptions may falter, God never does and He is always with us:

We are always in the presence of God. There is never a non-sacred moment! His presence never diminishes. Our awareness of His presence may falter but the reality of His presence never changes. – Max Lucado

Sigh … Deep Breath … Pause … Such a refreshing quote, right?

Listen to Habakkuk’s heart as you read his words, this time from his third chapter:

“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 NIV).

So Habakkuk, like all of us, had experienced the struggles. But he also knew the ONE answer … rejoice in the Lord! Because He is always with us! 

With that in mind, I thought about how I would personally fill in the blanks following the word though in Habakkuk’s verses above.

1. Though none of my children or grandchildren serve the Lord.
2. Though I do not have a home of my own yet.
3. Though my youngest son has alcohol issues that is impacting many in our family, especially this mama’s heart when I think the change may never come.

YET in the midst of all this …

I will rejoice in the Lord
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

It’s a decision we must settle in our hearts! We will rejoice in our Lord! Despite our struggles, we will always have His presence in our lives.

How would you personally fill in these blanks in Habakkuk 3:17-19?

“Though the __________________________, though the ___________________________, though there are no _______________________, 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 NIV).

I’m sure that every one of your ‘thoughs’ above have caused you extreme heartache, just as mine have done with me. My heartache hasn’t gone away yet. But in the midst of them, I can still rejoice in God my Savior, knowing that He will give me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness just as He promised in this beautiful verse from the Book of Isaiah:

“And provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor (Isaiah 61:3 NIV).

Hang in there, sweet sister! Will you join me in making the decision to rejoice in the Lord no matter what is happening around us today? You are NEVER alone! God sees you and He is ALWAYS with you. Not once has He left you to figure everything out on your own! Let Him love you and comfort you in His presence. Please know, we are praying for you …

As we close today, I wanted to leave these beautiful verses for you to take with you:

“I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth; And in the midst of many I will praise Him” (Psalm 109:30 AMP).

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NKJV)

Father God, I am so thankful that every moment is a sacred moment because we are always in your presence. What a complete honor that is! Thank you that Your presence never diminishes even in our questioning and especially in our heartache.

Blessings,

Yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord | Habakkuk 3:18 @freshgracefortoday

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