Today, we continue our consideration of, in my opinion, the greatest faith statement in the Bible. It is found in Habakkuk 3:11-19.

Habakkuk 3:17-19
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 go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments

What Habakkuk describes here is a picture of abject poverty in every aspect of daily living. Everything that one would consider essential to life has been taken away.

Yesterday, we sought to compare what this would mean for us today. What it would mean if we had no gas, electricity or water in our homes. What it would mean if all stores were empty and we had no means to find food, drink, or clothing,

I asked the question, how would you respond if this was the case? If everything is gone that you need to sustain life, how would you respond?

Habakkuk determined in advance how he would respond. He said, “…yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:18)

In essence, he says that even though there is absolutely no evidence that God is actively present,
“yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

Habakkuk made a choice to rejoice in God his Savior!

Had Habakkuk lived in our day, he might well have suggested to us that we hear the words of Jesus when he said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. (John 14:1)

The choice is ours: Jesus says “DO NOT LET.” That must be that we must choose to either let our hearts be troubled or not to let our hearts be troubled.

Or if Habakkuk lived in our day, he might have told us to listen to Paul when he said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

Positive people recognize negative things; they just don’t focus on them.

If Habakkuk lived in our day, perhaps he would have told us to follow the spirit of Jehoshaphat.

2 Chronicles 20:1-12
1 “After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said: “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’ 10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.”

After declaring to God the insurmountable problem he was facing, Jehoshaphat said this, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)

Here is the unmistakable fact: joy and faith are inseparable. Anyone can express joy when things are going well! Only a person of faith can express joy when things are falling apart.

I encourage you to decide in advance that you will praise the Lord anyway…
When you lose your job
When a loved one dies
When church attendance is down
When your marriage is under stress
When your children are struggling
When you are sick
When you are tired
When you are sick and tired or tired of being sick.

The literal meaning for praise is: I will jump for joy in the Lord; I will spin around and delight in God.

Here is the hilarity of faith! Joy at its best when circumstances are at their worst!

There is one more amazing part of what Habakkuk says, and we will look at that tomorrow.