Even if... by Phil

I recently saw a meme that said, “Fear is What if?, Faith is Even if?” That brought to mind the end of the book of Habbakuk.

For even if the fig tree doesn’t blossom,
and no fruit is on the vines,
even if the olive tree fails to produce,
and the fields yield no food at all,
even if the sheep vanish from the sheep pen,
and there are no cows in the stalls;
still, I will rejoice in Adonai (the LORD),
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
- Hab 3:17-18 CJB

Habbakuk is an interesting book. The first four verses sound like a direct response to the daily news. Try this, on any given day, read or listen to the top news stories and then read -

How long, O Lord, must I call for help?
But you do not listen!
“Violence is everywhere!” I cry,
but you do not come to save.
Must I forever see these evil deeds?
Why must I watch all this misery?
Wherever I look,
I see destruction and violence.
I am surrounded by people
who love to argue and fight.
The law has become paralyzed,
and there is no justice in the courts.
The wicked far outnumber the righteous,
so that justice has become perverted.
- Hab 1:2-4 NLT

See what I mean? God goes on to describe how He is going to raise up a “cruel and violent” people (the Babylonians) to discipline His wayward Israelite children. Will God do that again to bring America back to Him? I don’t know. But no matter what happens to and in our country, there is a key to our individual success hidden in the second chapter. - “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.” - Hab 2:4

Instead of getting wrapped up in fear and anxiety by looking at what the evil one is doing in the world around us, maybe we need to focus on what God is doing inside of us. Then in faith we can say with Habbakuk, “Even if… I will rejoice in the Lord!”
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Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Phil and Pam

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