As a follow-up to last month’s post, I’d like to share another revelation moment the Lord brought me shortly after the one I shared last month.
I’ve been a born-again Christian since 1980. I’ve been in the habit of daily Bible reading for a long time. Therefore, during my quiet time, the Lord will often prompt me with specific Bible verses as I seek Him and His answers to my prayers.
One particular morning, I was very frustrated with the level of my books sales. (Few authors earn enough in royalties to pay the bills.) Though I’m fully persuaded in God’s healing power for my life, I admit, I struggle in the persuasion department with His provision for my life. It’s not a question of “can He,” so much as it’s a question of “does He want to provide for me?”
As I was journaling, the Holy Spirit prompted me with some verses about the fig trees not blossoming and no grapes being on the vines. I searched my memory for where those verses were. I paged through Haggai, but didn’t find them. Then I did a word search on BlueletterBible.com and discovered they resided in Habakkuk. (Hey, I was close. I had the first two letters right.)
“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights” (Habakkuk 3:17-19 NLT).
Choose to Rejoice in the Midst of Devastation
This paints a dire picture—famine, destruction, lack of harvest.
It also paints a scene of total trust.
No matter how bad things are, I will (will means you make a conscious choice) rejoice. The Lord is my Shepherd. He provides all I need. And that includes enabling me to walk above the circumstances, ordering and guiding my steps.
After journaling a bit, the book of Haggai still hung in my mind. I decided to read it. It’s a short two chapters and is about rebuilding the Lord’s house.
“Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the foundation of the LORD’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you” ( Haggai 2:18-19 NLT).
Can you see how this answers Habakkuk? His writings were around 626 BC and Haggai came 100 years later in 520 BC.
For Haggai and his contemporaries, it was the literal rebuilding of the Temple. For me, it was a matter of laying the foundation stone of properly honoring the Lord and being committed to what He’s called me to do.
We still need to take care of His house. It isn’t a literal temple, but rather looking after the things of God. Yes, it means tithing to the church we attend and giving beyond that in order to take care of His people and reach the lost.
Look for His Blessings
I’m more deliberate now in looking for and writing down His blessings. I want to do it every day, but I don’t always remember.
His blessings go far beyond the monetary. They include growing confidence in my abilities as He provides new opportunities, unexpectedly running into friends at the grocery store (I usually only see friends on Sunday at church), making new friends, someone expressing their trust in me, and more. The financial blessings are there, too, but I’m learning to see beyond those.
Are you facing stormy circumstances? Choose to rejoice in the Lord anyway and trust Him. Keep your eyes on Him and look daily for the blessings He sends (I’m telling myself this too). He has promised “from this day onward I will bless you.”