Daily devotional · February 23
Joy Without the Harvest
“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 imagines a total collapse: no figs, no grapes, no olives, empty pens and no cattle. It is an economic catastrophe. Yet he says he will rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God his Savior. This is not denial. The whole book begins with complaints and hard questions. The prophet has wrestled with God, and he arrives at trust that does not depend on results. He compares himself to a deer that can stand on steep, rocky ground because God makes his feet sure. Our seasons of loss may not be as dramatic, but they can feel the same: a layoff, a broken plan, an empty account. Today, name one thing that has not turned out as you hoped, and thank God for one thing that still holds, his character. Let joy rest there, in who he is.
Prayer
Lord, even when the harvest fails, You are my joy and my strength. Steady my steps. Amen.