Yet I Will

Habakkuk 3:18 NIV: “yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

If you were to just read this verse on its own, it would be unremarkable. Finding joy or rejoicing in God seems to be a common theme throughout the Bible. For the most part, if life is steady or things are going well, we do tend to send thanks to our savior.

But what about when things are downright devastating? The verse right before this offers the very stark reality of what Habakkuk is going through. I’ve tried to allude to it in the art piece, but listed here is what he’s dealing with: fig trees not budding, no grapes in the vineyard, barren olive trees, damaged crops yielding no food, empty sheep pens, and no cattle in the stalls.

Let’s take the metaphor deeper than failed income, food, or clothing. I’d encourage you to think through some of these and see if you are experiencing any of them. The fig tree often symbolizes spiritual health, so a tree not budding could be an unfulfilled vocation or an absent sense of meaningfully contributing to God’s kingdom. Olive trees are symbols of peace, healing, and reconciliation, so a failed olive crop could represent emotional distress, physical dysfunction, or broken relationships. When I think of vineyards, I think of wine, which suggests social gatherings and activities. The lack of grapes can indicate a time of isolation or not belonging socially.

Now comes the unbelievable part: despite failures physically, emotionally, socially, financially, spiritually, etc, Habakkuk declares, YET I will rejoice in the Lord. You need to know the Hebrew word for rejoice, ahlaz, which conveys a sense of exuberant joy and triumph. The primitive root means to jump for joy. This isn’t a tame and mild thank you. Habakkuk adds he will also be joyful. This Hebrew word, gil, isn’t modest either, as it means to spin around expressing deep joy.

If this week’s art piece seems over-the-top, a woman leaping with joy amid total desolation, I communicated well what these verses are saying.

There really is only one way someone can shout for joy in such dire circumstances; they must believe that God is greater than their circumstances. In the very last verse, Habakkuk claims this. He believes that the Lord is his strength. The word used for strength doesn’t mean merely “strong” but encompasses capability, resources, and wealth. Habakkuk adds that the Lord “enables me to tread on the heights.” The heights, or high hills, are where the Israelites often worshiped God. Notice, then, that it is God who enables or gives Habakkuk the ability and strength to worship.

The sole reason it’s possible to find joy when everything is lost is if you believe that God has the power and resources to enable you to thrive.