The Power of Joy

Though the fig tree does not bud

And there are no grapes on the vines….

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17-18

The prophet Habakkuk recorded a third prayer to God. This prayer was in the form of a song written for the choir director to be song with stringed instruments. Habakkuk responded to what God foretold of the judgment of Israel by the invading Babylonians. Even though God declared that He would defend His people with His mighty arm, Habakkuk "trembled within" as he waited quietly for the Lord’s deliverance.

In the midst of the uncertainty of the invasion and the natural calamities that would accompany it, Habakkuk makes an amazing declaration. It’s a passage that has fortified my own courage many times.

Though the fig tree does not bud

And there is no fruit 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 triumph in Yahweh;

I will rejoice in the God

Of my salvation (Hab. 3:17-18). 

These words were not only Habakkuk’s personal declaration but also words he’d written for the children of Israel to sing unto God for themselves. What a leader. What a prophet! I’m glad to be able to understand this passage in the context for which it was written. Knowing about the impending invasion and the hard days ahead emboldened the declaration even more. In the same way, I don’t know what lays ahead for me, my family or my nation, but I choose to join with Habakkuk and proclaim even though I might tremble within, “…I will triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.” Will you join me?

Linda L.