Verse of the Day - Habakkuk 3:17-18

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.
~ Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Habakkuk paints a pretty bleak picture, doesn't he? The trees don't produce, the crops fail, the animals die. Wow, sounds like complete ruin to me. Almost sounds like where we in American are headed with our tough economic times.

Yet Habakkuk lays out the challenge: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior.

It's almost like he throws the gauntlet down at adversity and says, I don't care what you do to me. You can take everything I have -- I am not going to let you take away from my joy in God, my joy of being in relationship with Him. It is worth more than life to me...

Wow, now that's commitment. That's tenacity. That's intimacy with God that supersedes earthly circumstances. Do you think we have something to learn from Habakkuk? I'd say so.

It's also an understanding that our joy doesn't have to be tied to earthly circumstances. We like to think it has to be, but it obviously doesn't, because some have found the key to real joy in spite of the most difficult circumstances. It's as if they've found the 'quick disconnect' button and don't rely on circumstances to dictate their heart condition. Their joy is connected to who God is, His unfailing love, His ever presence, His spiritual comfort, His steadying hand. Not whether they've lost their job or home or car, or suffer illness, or whatever.

Joy is about the vertical relationship.

Which comes down to this: How is your vertical relationship? Are you nurturing it, or letting it wither? When you really get busy and get serious about your vertical relationship, I believe that you'll be able to throw the gauntlet down at the feet of adversity, too, and say, Go ahead. Give it your best shot. You won't steal my joy, no matter what you throw at me. God is my rock, my anchor, my joy.

Our real spiritual joy is tied to the vertical, not the horizontal. I pray you can focus on your vertical relationship with God and come to a full understanding of its blessed separateness from earthly circumstances.

Love,
Joelene