1-14-15 Belief bringing Joy and strength

16I heard and my heart pounded,

my lips quivered at the sound;

decay crept into my bones,

and my legs trembled.

Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity

to come on the nation invading us.

17Though 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,

18yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to tread on the heights.

Thoughts: The highest belief in God does not waiver in hard times.  Faith enables us to trust in God even when times are hard.  For Habakkuk- the people of God- the only ones who could tell the world about the Lord- are destroyed and taken into exile.  The enemies of God's people destroyed their cities, their crops, their wealth- but not their faith.  The beauty of faith is that when everything on the exterior is destroyed, there can still be hope.   Though we may not be rich in this life, there can still be meaning and strength in life.  The Lord is our strength even if the blessings of the Lord are hard to see.  There is even joy despite out comforts being gone.  

Prayer: Help me to trust in you with strength even in the tough times of life- when my comforts and loves are swept away.