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Oilfield Workers Sharing Christ Around the World

THE LAST WORD -HABAKKUK

By Mike Chaffin

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

Refreshingly, these last words are a hymn of faith.  Faith keeps us going.  Faith puts a fire under our steps.  Faith gives us the courage to continue.  Faith gives us the comfort knowing God cares for us and He has prepared a place for us in Heaven.

Reading these last words, we see that faith is unconditional.  The writer of Hebrews made the same point in Hebrews 11:1,

          Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Habakkuk clears up the question of when does faith begin.  Faith begins the moment we believe, regardless of our circumstances.  Rich, poor, with plenty or destitute.  Amid spring rains when everything is coming up roses or during drought when all we see is brown and death, faith gives us hope. Faith in God is our strength, not the circumstances we find ourselves.  Riches are fleeting but salvation and trust in God are eternal.

Paul doubled down on this thought in Romans 8:38-39,

         For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

With Paul’s teaching we learn that faith is not the only thing we have to lean on.  Since His love for us in unconditional, we can trust God through any circumstances .  Job took trust to the ultimate test when he said,

          Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. Job 13:15

Job was put through the ringer, losing everything. If anyone had an excuse to not trust God, it was Job.  Job’s trust did not go unrewarded.  God restored him, healed him, and helped him understand sovereignty.  Ultimately, God is sovereign and unchanging. Understanding these two attributes makes it much easier to understand how faith in God, and our trust in Him, can and should be unlimited.

     Prayer:  Lord, thank you that you are Sovereign and unchanging.  You taught me that I can ask and receive, seek and find, knock and it is opened to me.  You love us so much you supply all our needs.  I know I can trust you for you are the faithful shepherd who gave His life for me.  In Jesus name, amen.

 

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