Daily devotional · July 23
Rejoicing 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 describes an empty scene: no figs on the tree, no grapes on the vine, no olives, no crops, no sheep, no cattle. Everything an ancient farmer depended on is gone. Then comes a choice that seems almost impossible: yet I will rejoice in the Lord. His joy does not come from the circumstances, because they are all bad. It comes from who God is, his Savior and his strength, the one who makes his feet like a deer's so that he can walk on high places. Joy of this kind is not denial. It is a decision to look past the empty branches to the One who has not changed. Today, think of an area where your harvest feels thin. Speak honestly to God about the loss, and then name three things about him that are still true. Thank him for those, and take one step of gratitude.
Prayer
Lord, even when the fields are empty, you are my strength. Teach me to rejoice in you.