Even If!

Even If!

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

Context:

Habakkuk the prophet had one contention: why would God hand Israel over to the enemy, a nation even more wicked than Israel at the time? He asked God a number of questions, and of course, God, in his own prerogative, answered. We can be like that sometimes, excusing our sin with the false conviction that it does not really matter, or it is not as serious as it is being made out to be, or that after all, the other person is even worse than we are. I must be careful about my pursuits and priorities, and ensure that they line up with his will. 

God's view of sin has not changed, no matter what the dispensation or generation is. We excuse sin on the ground of expediency, or we are simply ignorant of what it is that God frowns at. No matter what it is I have held on to up to this point, I must make sure that I see sin from God's perspective, and take required steps to restore my relationship with God. That is the foundation of today's extract. 

Message and Response:

What if I have checked my life in the light of God's word, and there is no sin to repent of? What if I have truly examined my life and it is clear that God has helped me to walk with him? Even if there was sin, and I had repented and gone back to God, and he had forgiven me, yet nothing seems to work around me, what do I do? 

A time is coming when things will look like they have stopped working. A season of tough times will come for all men, irrespective of ethnic or spiritual status, but one thing that those who know God have going for them is the fact that they are not alone in facing what is ahead. Who is in charge of your life? Who sits on the throne of your heart? These questions are fundamental to what is ahead, and how it will end for you. 

What happens when you have spent time planting, and then there is nothing to harvest? What happens when I have invested resources and time, yet there is nothing to show for it? What happens when there is no reward for my sincere labour and striving? What crosses my mind as I see all the preparations I have made go to waste when none of the things I have invested in has yielded anything? How do I keep alive that which is in me, when everything around me is falling to pieces? There is just one answer to all these questions, and it is the inner condition of my heart. 

No matter what goes on around me, I must be careful not to allow it to get into me. As long as water stays outside the ship, it doesn't matter how terrible the storm is. As soon as water enters into the ship, it does not matter how calm the sea is. My greatest assignment is to guard my heart, so that junk does not take root. Whatever I take time to invest in grows. If it is a focus on the lack, the challenges and the pain, they will grow. However, if I can focus on the grace, help and mercy that God can give, then it is my relationship with God that will grow. 

I notice today's extract starts with THOUGH, not IF. These things will surely happen in our lifetime; positive confession won't stop them, but a heart of faith will make the journey worthwhile. It is the inner presence of God in a man that makes it possible for him to rejoice; joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit, and is not conditional on physical things. That joy is based on who I know, not what I have. Possessions do not guarantee God's presence and bank account balances can never fill the vacuum that only God can fill in my heart. 

Do you have God, or are you content with what your hands are holding on to right now? Remember, nothing of this world was built to last forever, and if all I have is only that which the world gives, I really don't hold anything of much value. If I have joy, I have everything. If I have God, my eternity is sealed. Seasons change, but the man who has God has sealed eternal life, no matter what happens down here. Do you have God? His time of favour is here.