“Yet will I rejoice…”

Sometimes it seems as though not one thing is going right. Times when you are just getting to the end of a particular hardship when another one appears to block your path. If you’ve lived very long on planet earth, you’ve encountered hard things, maybe even tragic things. Possibly you’ve had the thought or even said to others, “It shouldn’t be this way.” Take this thought captive to the obedience of Christ. At no time in all the things that Jesus suffered did He tell His Father the plan was a bad one. Even in His darkest hour, His prayer was “Is there another way?” Asking if there is another way is not the same as telling God this is the wrong way. And, Jesus followed up His request with a firm statement: “Not my will, but Thine be done.”

Submitting our way to Him, who is sovereign over the affairs of men, and believing that His good and acceptable will is being accomplished is a peace producing act of faith. One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Habakkuk 3:17-19. In these verses, the writer expresses how dire the circumstances are. There is nothing blooming, no harvest and no livestock. Then comes the most interesting word: Yet. In the midst of this, as it is happening. Yet. “Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength.”

Good news! Suffering isn’t designed to make us stronger. Suffering teaches us how to lean into Him and rely on His strength. His joy is our strength. Rejoice, therefore, for He has come to save you! He doesn’t expect you to save yourself, He invites you into His victory, His joyous freedom. You really do have everything you need pertaining to life and godliness in this present age (2 Peter 1:2-4).

When you pray for the will of God to be done, do you expect and believe that His will is being done? Do you believe His desire toward you is good? Is your God bigger even than all that you are facing? Is He able to work in you to will and to do for His good pleasure?

Father, you have called me out of darkness into the light and life of your dear Son. Thank you. Jesus, you are my life, my hope, my strength and my joy. You are my song in the night. I would rather be with you for a moment than have a thousand moments somewhere else. According to your Word, whatever hardship I am facing, it is a light and momentary affliction which is working for me an eternal weight of glory. Thank you for sending your Spirit to make your Word alive to me. You are the glory and the lifter of my head, and to you I offer praise and thanksgiving. In your precious and wonderful name, amen.

As always, email me with any comments you would like to share with our Cultivating Faithfulness community. Until next week, may you continue to grow in the true knowledge of Christ.