Though the fig tree should not blossom

And there be no fruit on the vines,

Though the yield of the olive should fail

And the fields produce no food,

Though the flock should be cut off from the fold

And there be no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will exult in the Lord,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,

And makes me walk on my high places

(Habakkuk 3:17-19 [NASB]).

These are very challenging verses of scripture. I often wonder: Am I there, yet? How am I doing? Could I face the trials presented in these verses and still REJOICE in the LORD?

We have no experience.

Individually and globally, we find ourselves in a place where we have no experience, a place of wondering how to maneuver through the paths that lie before us. Rejoicing seems to be downright laborious and scary, and unthinkable! This is especially so when there is NO job, NO money; unemployment is slow and strenuous; companies are closing at an unheard-of rate. FRIGHTENING TIMES! NO Food…NO, NO, NO!

But Habakkuk wants us to REJOICE! And Paul, the Apostle, wants us to learn to be content.

They want WHAT! I’m laughing; yet, I know they are right. During these days, some might feel like giving up, asking themselves how much more of this can I take before I crumble and fall apart?

God knows right where you and I are. He is giving us an opportunity to REDEEM or CREATE a different and new way of living, loving, showing charity, and giving HOPE to one another.

I believe The GREAT I AM is giving us a Newness even though we feel disoriented, confused, and lost during these uncertain times.

Rejoice means: to show great delight or great joy.

Synonyms for Rejoice: happiness, pleasure, jubilation, exuberance, glory, and celebration.

These are the words we are to believe and put into action as we live out the days to come.

“Yet I will exult in the Lord,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength”

The last part of Habakkuk’s prayer:

“…And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,

And makes me walk on my high places.”

A Hine is the female of the Red Deer. 2 Samuel 22:34 and Psalm 18:33 are the same as the words in Habakkuk’s prayer. Still, I find the most critical part of these scriptures is not that a Hine is a female, but that it demonstrates to us how we can leap and overcome the challenges that lie before us; that we have the same strength as the Hines have in their back legs. We can be surefooted and stand in our harrowing situations.

But however surefooted we may be, we can only accomplish the insurmountable with God, Yahweh, The GREAT I AM at the forefront. The power and strength are His, and without HIM, our plight is impossible. Human strength only goes so far. I think we are finding out that we are no match for today’s anomaly in our own human strength and power.

I realize we are at the crossroads of life. The decisions we make during these times will play a vast and significant role in our tomorrows. Therefore, my question for you, and for me, is can we stand surefooted in the ONE who created the world, the ONE who spoke the world into existence. The GREAT I AM who loves us. How are we doing? Are we there YET?

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