Are there days when you just want to throw the towel in?  You know what I mean.  You try to do things the right way, living by biblical standards and yet . . . everything seems to fall apart.  Your world is spinning out of control and all you want is to make it all stop.  I know that there are more times than I care to admit that I feel that way.  The old saying “misery loves company” is true!  Even God’s own servants; I mean people with their names placed at the beginning of books of the Bible; have also felt exactly the same way.  Take for example, the prophet Habakkuk.  Listen to the opening words he penned in the book bearing his name.

2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? 3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. 4 So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. (Habakkuk 1:2 – 4 ESV)

Is this the voice of a discouraged man?  And he’s one of God’s choice servants!  If you read further in Habakkuk, you’ll see that there are yet more complaints by the prophet.  Well, like I said, deep discouragement comes into all our lives at various times.  I don’t want you to think that the answer comes in a beautifully wrapped package and “BINGO!” your problem is solved and your distress and discouragement immediately disappear.  But I can tell you that the fight for joy is worth it!  Our problem is that we need to continually preach the gospel to ourselves.  We need to remember where to find strength.  Scripture tells us plainly; do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10 ESV)

That’s such heartening news.  You and I may not find joy in many of the circumstances of life, be we can find joy in the Lord!  That is our strength.  So don’t give up.  Keep your hope and trust in the One who created you and gave His Son for you.   Your strength comes through your unswerving gaze at the beauty and goodness of the Lord.  Glory in Him!  Joy in Him!

After Habakkuk’s complaints, he comes face to face with who God really is and he is able to say at the end of his book, 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. (Habakkuk 3:17 – 19 ESV)

Fighting the good fight and rejoicing with you,

Pastor Leslie

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