FAITH CAPSULE: “…joy and rejoicing are the only ways to keep in the way of God because it lands you in the presence of God.”
Habakkuk 3:16-19
You cannot praise Him without rejoicing, likewise you cannot rejoice without praising Him. Rejoicing in the Lord is the joy of the One that requires our rejoicing in Him. The Joy of the Lord is your strength because it is His joy that will give access to the Light, and with Light revelation flows. Habakkuk 3:17, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls.” This is not a situation that anyone would like to be in but, it is not a situation that anyone wants to experience. It is a place in the depth of a valley where there seems to be no way out, and no end in sight as to when the time of rising and climbing out of the depth of valley. There is no one that wants to plant a tree and wants to see it fruitless, neither is it pleasant to have no fruit where the vines should be bringing forth fruit as the crown of labor. When your hard labor seems to be producing a result that matches that of a person who does not work hard, when all that needs to be adding to a better result begins to be cut off, and then you know that something is wrong that could be beyond your comprehension. Habakkuk does have a word for you, if you will receive it and live by it, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18) Once again, joy and rejoicing are the only ways to keep in the way of God because it lands you in the presence of God. Jesus was in the midst of the family of Lazarus during the time of their mourning for Lazarus’ passing. As they were lifting their voices in wailing, crying, and gnashing of teeth, the Bible recorded that, “… Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father I thank You that you have heard Me.” (John 11:41) Try thanking Him with a heart full of joy in the face of adversity or challenges, and then wait to see if He will act on your behalf or not. If you will receive all that the Lord has put down in the pages of scripture for our learning, all the miracles that were testified will not escape you. Try God and see that He alone is faithful and true to His word of deliverance and life. If you will continue to put your trust in Him, He will allow you to walk on high places.
Prayer for today:Ask God to enable you with the spirit of rejoicing in every area of your life.