The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains.
Habakkuk 3:19
This, my friends, is one of my very favorite verses. In fact, when I was working outside the home, this verse was posted on my computer screen. Even when I had to go outside the office for work conferences or court, this verse was on a post-it on my laptop as well. It always brought me such comfort to know that no matter what situation I was in, the Lord was right there with me, strengthening me, making sure my steps were firm and solid and working me up and over the mountain I was climbing.
I have learned that although I have to make the actual climb, His promises that He will strengthen me for the climb and then bring me safely to the other side have always been kept, no matter what the “bring” looked like.
Verses 17 and 18 of Habakkuk actually give us an even greater perspective of verse 19:
Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; 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.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Talk about some difficult times, this is a little more devastating than our day-to-day life glitches. We’re talking the potential starvation and death of a nation. This would be terrifying, and is, to any nation. But Habakkuk would not be controlled by his feelings or the events going on around him. Even though the troubles were seemingly insurmountable, Habakkuk looked to the strength of the God of his salvation! In fact, he didn’t just have faith in the God of his salvation, He rejoiced in the God of his salvation! Wow!
Do we rejoice in the God of our salvation during difficult times, during trying times, during scarry times, during stormy times? We should. Human nature (sinful nature) is to get bogged down in the difficulties, the trying and the scarry. But, we need to take our eyes off of the difficulties, the trying and the scarry and look to God. Boy oh boy is that hard halfway up the mountain. But when we do, He will give us strength in those difficult times. He will make us sure-footed, He will give us hind’s feet, so that we can safely navigate the rough terrain we must travel, with Joy!
Isn’t it easy to know what we should do and harder to put into action what we know we should do? Yes! We’ve been through some of those difficulties and scarry times lately. Times when we didn’t even know where our feet were let alone how to put one in front of the other. But each time we experience difficult times in our life — just to remind you, if you are a child of God, you will absolutely, definitely, no doubt, experience difficulties — and arrive on the other side of what seemed like an insurmountable mountain, we can have Joy, from start to finish. Maybe not feel Joy in the climb, but know Joy, real Joy. Remember, Joy is not happiness. Happiness is completely dependent on our happenings, on our circumstances.
But the kind of Joy that comes from believing in our Deliverer, however He chooses to deliver us. Trust is grown and our faith in God is securely grounded on the mountains. If we didn’t need his strength, his help in getting over the mountain, we would not need God. But we do.
Bringing us safely over the mountain doesn’t mean that the terrain is not dangerous, that the terrain is not steep, it means exactly what it says, He’ll bring us safely over the mountain. Having faith in the God of our salvation that He will do what He says He will do should cause us to rejoice, regardless of the terrain we traverse. Rejoice!
Sidlow Baxter said the literal definition of verses 18-19 is:
“I will jump for joy in the Lord; I will spin around for delight in God.”
Here is the hilarity of faith!—Joy is at its best when circumstances are at their worst! Whatever trials may come, and they will, we must rejoice in the Lord and Joy in the God of our salvation.
So may you twirl with absolute Joy in the God of your salvation as His strength brings you safely over the mountains, little and big!