"Yet I will exult in the LORD"

 In Habakkuk chapter 3, the prophet is praying to the Lord because he has been given a vision of the Babylonian invasion of Judah and is in awe and distress.  He has spent the first two chapters of this book conversing with God and getting some of his questions answered.  He doesn't understand why God is allowing evil men to run over the people of Israel, although he does know Judah deserves to be punished.  But Habakkuk ends his book of prophecy with hope and praise:

Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. 
The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.
Habakkuk 3:17-19

Habakkuk knows that destruction is coming, but he also knows that he can trust in the Lord, no matter what happens, so he will live by faith in his Lord.  Do we know that?  Do we understand that?  Do we live it?  Here is a good exercise for us - rewrite Habakkuk 3:17 for yourself and then write out verses 18 and 19 as is.  Then use that for your prayers today.  Here is mine as an example:

Though my kids should misbehave terribly
And my husband be angry and moody,
Though I feel exhausted and run down
And never have enough energy to do anything,
Though people are upset and disappointed in me
And I never feel I fit in,
Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.

Go ahead.  What are you struggling with today?  Put it in there and lay it at the Father's feet.  He can handle it.  And then, go ahead and praise Him anyway, because He's got this.  Always.

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