This Sunday in First Ballynahinch Presbyterian Church we will be sharing about Kingdom Joy, a higher perspective.
It is not what it seems right now!
I wonder if that it is true?
Really, you must have such a strong faith because …!
I don’t see it!
I don’t feel that way right now!
I wonder if you have ever thought that or said it! Honestly, truthfully I had.
When nothing was happening, when nothing was working, when all around me was shutting down it was hard to see in my life, and work that God was working,
What if share with you these words? Will you be encouraged? Maybe?
“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.” (Habakkuk 3:18–19 ESV)
Well, to be honest, I would not!! Why? Because I would not be telling you the whole truth!
Please, I am not denying the fact I rejoice in the Lord, that I will take in the Joy in the God of my salvation, that He is indeed my strength, that He makes me secure and He fills me with favour!
Let me share with you how he was feeling!
“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.” (Habakkuk 3:17–19 ESV)
Does this sound more familiar? The words that came from this prophet were not that joyful!
What about the word YET!! There is definitely an intentional shift in his spirit. He was very much aware of his own reality, YET, he was also very much aware another more powerful and hopeful reality.
How can we tap into this powerful and hopeful reality in the midst of our own? What can shift our minds, hearts and souls from our current circumstances to Hope, Salvation and Peace? (I am not saying that we should ignore our own perils, No.)
Any faith declarations or prophetic words should lead us into an encounter with God. To encounter the fear, reverence, and the wonder of His Presence. We do that through worship.
What if I tell you that what Habakkuk wrote this as a worship song?
This is should be read like this:
“Though 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, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.” (Habakkuk 3:17–19 NIV)
D.L. 