Choosing Joy Even When Circumstances Don’t Change (Habakkuk 3)

Evening Scripture

Habakkuk 3
A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

Lord, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.

God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.
Plague went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed—
but he marches on forever.
I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

Were you angry with the rivers, Lord?
Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea
when you rode your horses
and your chariots to victory?
You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.
You split the earth with rivers;
the mountains saw you and writhed.
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared
and lifted its waves on high.

Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,
at the lightning of your flashing spear.
In wrath you strode through the earth
and in anger you threshed the nations.
You came out to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
With his own spear you pierced his head
when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,
gloating as though about to devour
the wretched who were in hiding.
You trampled the sea with your horses,
churning the great waters.

I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
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 tread on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Evening Reflection

Sometimes our lives seem to play out smoothly and almost perfectly: we are around wonderful people, we have a good job, and the sun is shining. At those times, it is easy to praise the Lord and find joy. But then there are times when it seems that everything is against us: our friends have turned to enemies, an opportunity slipped through our grasp, the sun is nowhere to be found, and joy is the last thing on our mind. Maybe that is how your day went today. Maybe that seems to be your life right now. That was the season of life that the prophet Habakkuk was in, too, in Habakkuk 3.

In his prayer to God, Habakkuk admitted that nothing around him was going right: the trees were not blossoming, the fields were not producing food, there were no animals in the stalls, and his enemies were coming after him. But then, even in the midst of disappointment and difficult circumstances, when he wasn't seeing change, he still rejoiced in the Lord. How did he do that?

First, Habakkuk put his situation into the right perspective. He "heard the report" of God and began listing how amazing and powerful his God was. That perspective helped him see that his current problems were nothing in comparison to how big his God was. Secondly, Habakkuk chose joy. He could have chosen to dwell on any feeling in that moment, but he chose to find joy in God, who was his salvation and strength. And because of that, God lifted him up to "high places." Our life is not about what happens to us, but about how we respond. What needs to be put back into perspective in your life? What areas do you need to choose joy instead of disappointment or sadness?

Evening Prayer

Lord,
Thank you for all of the countless blessings that you have given me. Help me dwell on all the good in my life, especially my salvation, instead of the bad. Give me grace to accept all that I cannot change and strength to change what I can, which is my attitude. In the same way that Jesus even chose joy on the way to the cross, help me to choose joy in living my life for your glory. Thank you for wanting me to lay my burdens on you, and that you are going to lift me up! In Jesus's name,
Amen.

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