hold on to hope
“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, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” —Habakkuk 3:17–19
When we are in the midst of loss and/or devastation, we can choose to turn to the Lord, to rejoice in the truth of who He is and how He enables and provides, no matter what our circumstances are.
Hold on to God, no matter what.
Sometimes, we go through trials that shake our faith — hold on. Don’t give up.
Don’t let go of the things you need.
Don’t close yourself off . . . not to people, or God, or His Word.
As God gives you faith, share with those around you.
As God gives you love, share with those around you.
As God gives you hope, share with those around you.
Our faith can transcend our circumstances.
”My allegiance to God will not be dictated by my circumstances.” — perspective!
God will meet us in our brokenness and confusion.
Seek Him still. No matter what. Cling to Jesus.
These were my notes from a Sunday morning service from September 2018, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at Del Norte Baptist Church. I was there for a work trip for a few days, and I remember this message (along with the sweetest church members who welcomed us all so warmly) was so encouraging. I had no idea I would happen upon these notes in this season of COVID-19 and how much they would encourage me again now, and I hope you too.
Where are you finding hope these days?
Freshly, the Lord showed me last week in this same passage (before I even came across these notes—how cool is that??), that as the prophet Habakkuk expressed at the end of this book, we too can confidently place our hope in God.
We can rejoice in our Lord’s sovereign control, His strength, and His saving ability. We can find courage to face uncertainty because just as He has made the deer able to walk in the environment he lives in, scaling those mountain sides, He enables us to walk in the environments He places us in too, wherever He leads, wherever He allows us to go — which is sometimes up the mountain side too — full of challenges, but also full of beauty.