Habakuk 3:17,18
“Even if the fig tree does not blossom, And there is no fruit on the vines, If the yield of the olive fails, And the fields produce no food, Even if the flock disappears from the fold, And there are no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will triumph in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”
This is quite a declaration of faith from the prophet. Everything positive that could be fails. Everything about the plan fails; there is no flower and no fruit. The fields produce nothing. This is for the vegetable farmer. The other part of the farm are the animals. Yet, they also are gone. This is a dire as it can get for a farmer. The children might not know the extent, but the adults do.
This is the lowest of the low. We all experience dry times ocasionally, but this is far more serious. What is the farmer to do? They could reach out to neighbors or the bank. They could also reach out to those at church or extended family. If it’s the entire region, then it becomes far more difficult for others to help. Everyones in the same situation. They are all desperate.
What comes to mind is the dust bowl. This was a period of three to eight years of drought and dusty conditions that ruined many farmers. It was a mix of human error and natural conditions. Thousands were uprooted from their communities to drive a thousand miles to other places to start anew. This burdened the destinations. The movie, Grapes of Wrath is this story.
I spent several paragraphs to develop this point to illustrate this extreme situation. God willing few of us will experience this. In spite of the serious degree of the problem, God is still our help. At this point He is the only help. Some may go the route of bitterness, but that’s not helpful. There are times when only He can do it. The prophet uses words like triumph, rejoice and salvation. These would be done by faith as the visible deliverance wouldn’t be for a while.
Faith is a wonderful thing. It is more than positive thinking. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.” Faith is a tangible gift from God. It’s like a possession. How do we get faith? Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” As we read and hear the bible God puts faith in us. If we aren’t doing this, our faith grows weak.
The parable of the sower illustrates this. God’s Word gets into people’s hearts and it grows. Faith is part of that. To be able to trust God in all circumstances faith is required. It’s needed often, not just in trajedys.
We need to use and exercise our faith in the good times for it to be effective in the tough times. Hebrews 5:14 makes this point, “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.” Solid food refers to the deeper concepts in the bible. It refers to training one’s senses. Not smelling and touch, but spiritual senses. The ability to discern God’s voice and His leading. Faith is part of all of this. This walking with Christ is a lifestyle.
When we walk with Christ and growing in faith our lives are on a solid foundation. Jesus gives us a great picture of this in Matthew 7:24, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Our lives are solid and secure in Him. So, when the tough times come we know His voice and are able to discern His guidance. He will help us in the hard times.
Being in Christ gives us the ability to praise Him in the storm. He will deliver and provide for us somehow. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Physical sight says we’re in trouble. The eyes of faith tells us “All is well”.
Thank You, Lord, for Your wonderful ways. You help us always. Thank You for being able to walk with You. You provide in all circumstances. Thank You.