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GRATITUDE IN THE VALLEY

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:17-18

Glory to God! It is easy to be grateful when the barn is full. It is easy to say 'thank You, Lord' when everything is clear and at peace. But what about the valley? What about the season when the barn is empty and the harvest has failed? The prophet Habakkuk teaches us how to be grateful in the valley. He began his writings with a complaint. He looked around and saw violence, injustice, and wickedness, and he asked God why He was not doing anything about it. I believe we have also been there, asking God why He is quiet about certain things happening around us. God answered the Prophet that He was raising the Babylonians, a fierce nation, to bring judgement. That answer troubled Habakkuk deeply. His belly trembled, and his lips quivered. He knew the coming invasion would destroy the crops and livestock that were the economy of his day. And yet, in the middle of that fear, he wrote: 'Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.'

He said 'Yet', which means that, in spite of all this, I will still rejoice. Habakkuk lists everything that could go wrong: no figs, no grapes, no olives, no crops, no sheep, no cattle. Total loss. Yet he chose to rejoice, not in his circumstances, but in the Lord. His joy was not attached to his income; it was attached to his God. That is the difference between conditional gratitude and gratitude rooted in a relational knowledge of who God is. If your thankfulness depends on what you have, it will disappear when you lose it. But if it depends on who God is, no loss can take it away. Some people lose their joy the moment their income drops, because their joy is built on the wrong foundation. At the end of the chapter, he says, 'The LORD God is my strength, and he maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.' The valley was not the end. God took him through it and lifted him to the high places. So, if you are in a valley today, declare aloud, 'Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.' Be grateful for who He is, because He has not changed. Even when you cannot see what He is doing, you can see who He is. Your valley will turn into a pathway to the high places. Hallelujah!!!

FURTHER STUDY

Habakkuk 3:16-19; Job 1:20-22; Psalm 23:4 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. In the valleys of my life, do I focus on what is missing or on who God still is?
2. What does it look like for me to say, 'Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,' in my current situation?

PRAYERS

Father, thank You for Your word. Even when things are lacking, I will rejoice in You. You are my strength, and You will lead me to high places in Jesus's name. Amen.