A Fruitful Son in an Unfruitful Circumstance

A Fruitful Son in an Unfruitful Circumstance

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— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. …

Habakkuk 3:17-18

“Hallelujah anyway!”  Says one of my friends when a situation seems to be degenerating into chaos.  We may find ourselves in many circumstances of life which are much less than what we want them to be.  In Habakkuk’s day the land was about to fall under the rod of God.  Habakkuk could foresee a day when “the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.”  Even in such a situation Habakkuk declared, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

In the most unfruitful of physical circumstances, we who know God through Christ can still rejoice in Him.  Our circumstances may be unfruitful for many reasons.  In the case of the prophet, the unfruitful mess of the situation was through no personal fault of his.  God was dealing with the larger community because of their sin.  The man of God was affected by the situation because of his location in the midst of the people.  You may even now be in a difficult situation which is not your fault.  Habakkuk’s standing in grace was not altered by his situation.  He could still speak confidently of “the God of my salvation.”

Your standing in grace does not alter with a degenerating circumstance.  This fact provides us with tremendous confidence.  Because we are sure of the love of Our Gracious Saviour toward us, we can still be joyful of heart even when all around us gives way.  Habakkuk exults “in the God of (his) salvation.”  Today, in the midst of the most dire straits in which we may find ourselves, let us, like Habakkuk, “rejoice in the LORD” and “Joy in the God of our salvation.”

Our Great and MIghty Saviour

we are conscious of

our blessed standing in Christ.

Enable us today to 

joyfully commune with Thee.

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice