When You are in the Midst of Difficulty, How You Can Rejoice

Are you facing a difficult situation or are you in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances right now? You might be wrestling with doubt or frustration and asking, "Where is God? Doesn't He see my anguish? Why is He allowing this happen?". 

You are not alone...Many men and women in the Bible have asked similar questions. Isn't it amazing that God saw fit to record the questions, doubts, frustrations and fears these men and women expressed? In His wisdom, He knew we would face difficulty and have similar questions. He knew we would learn and find life and encouragement reading stories that so closely resemble our own.  Habakkuk is an example of a man who asked God some bold questions.

The book of Habakkuk opens with Habakkuk's prayer to the Lord: 

"O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?

Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.

So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted."

Habakkuk questioned why God was doing nothing when His people, the Israelite nation was filled with violence, injustice, wickedness and destruction. How long would it take God to save His people? Habakkuk decides he is going to wait, like a watchman and tower guard, for the Lord to answer him.

"I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint."

Look out (tsaphah): to lean forward, to peer into the distance

"What I will answer concerning my complaint" can be translated: And how I may reply when I am reproved.

Reproved (towkechah): correction, rebuke

*Hebrew words in parenthesis

Habakkuk was eagerly waiting. Figuratively, he was leaning forward to catch a glimpse of God, peering into the distance for His spoken word. Habakkuk believed God would answer him and that is why he waited, even though he expected God to rebuke him for questioning Him as he had. 

Look at what the Lord says, 

“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

The Lord reassures Habakkuk that what He ordains to happen, will. He is faithful, His Word is true and it accomplishes it's intended purpose. Instead of rebuking Habakkuk, He says, "the righteous live by their faith." 

Live (chayah): to revive, keep alive

Faith (emuwnah): firmness, security

The righteous are revived by and find life in Who their security rests in!

Habakkuk then begins to do something intentional. He begins to pray and in his prayer, He recounts the majesty and power of the Lord. (Habakkuk 3:1-19)

"His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.

He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low.

His were the everlasting ways. You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck."

Habakkuk ends his prayer with these words:

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD;                     I will take joy in the God of my salvation.  

GOD, the Lord, is my strength;                 he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places."

Rejoice (giyl): to spin around, to be joyful

Rejoice (alaz): to jump for joy, triumph

Habakkuk's whole demeanor changes. Despite the destruction, violence and injustice he is surrounded by, he is triumphant and joyful in the Lord. I can't help but think about the word rejoice's (giyl) meaning: to spin around. This is referring to dancing in a circle, but think about how Habakkuk's demeanor spun around. His perspective spun from a seemingly accusatory and frustrated attitude to a joyful, triumphant one.

How can we learn from Habakkuk and the practical steps he took?

1. He prayed.

He brought his frustration to God. In complete honesty, he bore his soul and asked all his questions.

2. He waited.

He eagerly waited until the Lord answered him. This reveals his faith in God, because he was confident the Lord would answer and that the Lord's answer was the one he needed.

3. He recounted the power, majesty and mighty works of God.

This is essential in our lives just as it was for Habakkuk. We are prone to forgetting the good things our good God has done, is doing and has promised to do. We are prone to only seeing what is in front of or surrounding us. Habakkuk stationed himself at his watch post and tower. These were places of height in which a guard would be able to see into the distance and from a different perspective. We need a watch post in our lives. Remembering the faithfulness of the Lord, His character and His love for us, provides this.

As we remember and recount, our perspective changes. We are able to see our circumstances in the light of the Lord's power. We remind ourselves of God's faithfulness and peer past our circumstances into eternity, where we will be with our great God forever.

"How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you." (Psalms 139:17-18)

When we count God's goodness toward us, the cataracts of fear and frustration start to fall from our eyes and we once again see His faithfulness. When we awake each morning, He is with us.

Habakkuk begins with "why?!" and ends with "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will take joy in the God of my salvation because He is my strength."

Recounting, leads us to God's ultimate act of love toward us. He gave us Jesus to be our Rescuer. We desperately needed Someone to mend the broken relationship we had with God because of our sin. Jesus did this! God is perfectly holy and couldn't allow our sin to go unpunished. Jesus stepped in to accept the punishment we deserved and die the death we should have. Through faith in Him, we are given the glorious gift of becoming a son or daughter of God.

Recounting, we remember God's salvation and since He rescued us, He will be with us always. He is our strength in difficult circumstances and this is reason to rejoice.

Even when the fig tree does not blossom, there is no fruit on the vines or food in the fields, we can rejoice. We can jump for joy and live in triumph, because God is our salvation. He has been faithful and always will be.

When you are struggling with your life's circumstances, pray, wait with eager expectation and recount God's goodness, power and faithfulness. Your perspective will change and you will have strength to endure with joy. Remember what the Lord told Habakkuk, "the righteous live by their faith." It is Who are faith rests in that revives and revitalizes us. Even when our circumstances seem hopeless and lifeless, we have an eternally abundant supply of life in the Lord.

Sincerely,

Amy