Daily devotional · August 17
Rejoicing With Empty Shelves
“Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights!For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.”
Habakkuk describes a farm in ruins: no figs, no grapes, no olives, no crops, no sheep in the pen, no cattle in the stalls. It is the picture of an economy collapsing. Then comes a line that seems impossible: yet I will rejoice in the Lord. His joy does not depend on the harvest. It rests on who God is. He compares God's strength to a deer's feet, which allows it to move confidently on steep places. Read Habakkuk 3:19 and notice that God does not remove the mountain, but gives sure footing on it. If your finances, health, or plans feel like empty shelves, you are not being asked to feel cheerful. You are invited to find a stable place to stand. Today, list three things that are still true about God, even if your circumstances have not changed, and read them aloud as a prayer.
Also read
“GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights!For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.”
Habakkuk 3:19
Prayer
Lord, when the shelves are empty, be my joy and my footing. Help me stand firm on your character.