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. ~Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)
Habakkuk was really wearing his heart on his sleeve as he wrote chapter 3. He was basically saying bring it on. It doesn’t matter what comes, I am still going to be thankful and praise God in good times and bad. He was declaring his faith in his loving God and proclaiming the fact that he was going to trust in God’s goodness towards him no matter what. Whether the provision we are looking at today is immense, adequate, scarce or nil, we better have that same attitude! Many times, in life we find ourselves waiting for answers and provision from God, but the truth is that most of us do not like to wait. But waiting builds character. The kind of character we need to handle what the Lord wants to bring into our lives. God doesn’t just want to provide for us. He wants to provide for us so generously that we will be a witness to His goodness and graciousness throughout the earth. Why would He tell us He has provided and equipped us for every good work if there wasn’t any work to be done? Why would He say we have been predestined for good works if He wasn’t going to bring people with needs into our lives so that we could perpetuate all the wonderful things God has done for us? We have been referred to as the Microwave Generation. We can get anxious waiting a couple of minutes for food. The only way we can develop our patience is to become good at waiting and we can’t become good at waiting with a doubtful, fearful, or even selfish attitude. We must learn to trust in God’s perfect timing for everything.
Patience, just like any other good character trait, takes work and discipline to develop. Another word for patience is endurance and the definition of endurance is "dealing with a difficult circumstance without giving way”. That is the kind of patience Habakkuk was talking about. He listed out some pretty depressing situations that he would “rejoice through”. His words should encourage us to praise God in the hardest of hard times because we know that God is for us and not against us. We know that God has a great plan for our lives and whatever comes our way He is turning it for our good. That is the kind of faith that the saints of old carried and God expects no less from His children today. God wants us to be assured and He wants us to express our assurance to others that He is working right now to bring about the best possible outcome for us whether anybody sees it or not. The bible tells us faith is the substance of things not yet seen! Next time you find yourself patiently enduring, remember the words of Habakkuk. No matter what you are going through, rejoice in the Lord. Praise Him and tell Him you know He is bringing about that perfect answer at just the right time so that you are able to enjoy His blessings to the fullest. God knows the plans He has for you; do you trust Him?
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Have you faced any difficult circumstances lately that you knew God used to build your character? How did you choose to not "give way"?
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