Yet I will rejoice.

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls--

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, 

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

I can't tell you how many times I have gotten overwhelmed, stressed, upset, etc.

It's so easy to get caught up in affliction.

It's easy to allow it to control who you are.

When I read the Old Testament and imagine all that the Israelites went through it amazes me.

Honestly, who am I to sit and have a pity party?

They faced so much affliction and yet they look at it with eyes of hope.

Habakkuk was watching all these evil things happen to righteous people.

He was experiencing these things.

He approaches the Lord and asks "How much longer? Why?"

He cries out the the Lord begging for help.

Then the Lord comes and sweeps Habakkuk up and into the Lord's arms.

He draws Habakkuk into the secret place and speaks.

He reveals to Habakkuk Who He is.

He then sums up the entire book in just a few words--

"Behold the proud,

His soul is not upright in him;

But, the just shall live by his faith."

Habakkuk 2:4

The just shall live by his faith.

He paints a picture to Habakkuk of what it will look like.

And Habakkuk is swept off of his feet.

He heard the power of the Lord's voice.

He felt the glory and he saw that mountains scattered and the hills bowed for the Lord.

 Habakkuk saw:

"That I might rest in the day of trouble."

Habakkuk 3:16b

What an encounter he had.

What faith it built in Habakkuk that he proclaimed his faith.

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls--

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, 

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD.

He chose to live by faith.

To rejoice in the hardest times of his life. Why?  Because the Lord is good.