Present with God: In my Joy

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." -Habakkuk 3:18

Often our greatest satisfaction with God is found at the moment of our greatest trial and discomfort with everything else.

If you only read this verse alone, you miss all of its power. The prophet makes a strong case to find our contentment in God. This is a needful and true statement of God as our source of joy. However, the meaning of the affirmation takes on an infinitely greater significance when read with verse 17.

"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive tree fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls, yet..."

The "yet" is the power of verse 18. The prophet lays out a scenario where life is literally falling apart all around. But in the midst of the chaos and failure and doubt, there is joy. The prophet assures us that there is a source of joy that is not dependant on our circumstances. When we are present with God, we can experience an unshakable peace that no famine or disaster or depression or doubt can ever destroy.

By being mindfully aware of God's presence, we are released from the need for things to get better in order for us to have joy. We don't have to wait for our circumstances to change. We can fully and finally and permanently live in the joy we find solely in him. When your joy is disconnected from your circumstances, you become a powerful agent of God's transformation in the world. Your contentment and joy is no longer dependant on your superficial happiness.

You are free.

Be Present with God

Make some time to be present with God. Allow him to show you how small your overwhelming circumstance is compared to his power and goodness. Sit in his presence and feel your concerns and worries fade into their proper perspective. Ask him to restore your joy. Ask him to empower you to have victory over your circumstances. Listen as he declares that your joy is found in him and you are a powerful overcomer of anything in this life. Thank him for the way he has made you aware of his presence in this time.