Yet I Will Rejoice

Scripture Invitation

As we prepare our hearts for God's Word, I summon your senses and invite your intellect to the book of Habakkuk 3:17-18.

It is there that the Holy Spirit has highlighted our context for our brief sermonic time together this morning.

Bible Passage:

Habakkuk 3:17–18 CSB

Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!

Context

Habakkuk was a prophet in Judah during a time of great distress.

The nation was on the brink of destruction, facing invasion from their enemies.

Habakkuk had cried out to God, questioning why He allowed such evil to continue unchecked.

But instead of receiving a direct answer, God revealed to Habakkuk that He was going to use the wicked Babylonians to bring judgment upon Judah.

This caused fear and confusion for Habakkuk, but he ultimately surrendered his doubts to God and declared his trust in Him.

In this passage, Habakkuk paints a picture of utter devastation saying – the fig tree has no buds, the vines have no grapes, the olive crop has failed, there are no sheep or cattle in the pens.

This was a heartbreaking reality for an agricultural society like Judah.

But even in the midst of this dire situation, Habakkuk proclaims that he will still rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God his Savior.

How is this possible?

Habakkuk’s response teaches us an important theological truth – that joy is not dependent on our circumstances, but on our relationship with God.

He acknowledges the difficulties he is facing, the lack of food and resources, and yet, he chooses to rejoice in the Lord.

The prophet recognizes that his ultimate joy and salvation come from God, not from material possessions or a trouble-free life.

In the text Habakkuk coins a phrase that should change our perception of how we see our circumstances:

Yet, I Will Rejoice.

Let’s break that down this morning:

The Power of “Yet”:

There is great power in the word yet.

It implies that despite present circumstances there is something else remaining.

Yet implies there’s still something else to be considered.

The power of the word yet is what should motivate us as believers today to continue to be steadfast in our faith in God.

Yet implies that we have faith that rests in the goodness of God and his ability to deliver us in the midst of our circumstance.

That’s why the servant “Job” considered, that while his personal and financial affairs were crumbling around him, he still held firm to his belief in God and announced, “Though he slay, yet will I trust him.”

It is the power of yet that prompted a widow woman to take her last cruse of oil and meal and act on faith that her barrel would not run dry.

It was the power of yet that prompted a woman who had an issue of blood to push our way through a crowd to touch the hem of his garment even though the prospects for success were dim.

It is the same power of yet that gives us inspiration to continue, even today.

This word Yet, helps us to look beyond our present difficult situations to the time when God will work it out.

Beyond our tight financial situations, frustrating personal dilemmas, and career setbacks if we can just hold on, God will bring us through according to His will.

The Ownership of “I”:

The word “I” in the English language is a pronoun, of which modifies ‘nouns”; persons, places or things.

So, in spite of the what might be happening the Prophet is saying there is something that I am going to do.

It is that hope that keeps us saying with Habakkuk “Yet “I” rejoice will Rejoice.”

Although Habakkuk addressed his announcements about the doom and gloom to the entire nation of Israel, his response in this text was not a direction for what they should do, but he did narrowed it down to what he would do.

And so he speaks in the first person, “I will rejoice in the Lord.”

It was this ownership that inspired him to conclude as The Leader Joshua did, that regardless to how others responded, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The ownership of “I” prompted David to consider what he should do when surrounded by tough and difficult times.

David said in Psalm 121:1, “I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth.”

It’s the ownership of “I” that prompts us to stand firm in the midst of life’s storms, regardless of the darkness of the hour and sing, “I will trust in the Lord until I die.”

It that same ownership that declares “I am on the battlefield for my Lord. And I promised him that I would serve him till I die. I’m on the battlefield for my Lord.”

The ability to Rejoice

To ‘rejoice’ requires the assistance of the Power of God.

The word rejoice is used in the text differentiating it from the word “joy” because the “pre” prefix usually means that something is about to be done again.

To repeat something is to do the same thing again.

To remix something is to take the same elements, shuffle them, and do them again.

To recite something is to give an oral account again.

To remember something is to call up stored information for current use.

To reenter somewhere is to enter again.

“Re” anything means we are going to do it one more time.

So, when Habakkuk said he would rejoice it means that he will have the same amount of joy in the present that he once had in the past.

To rejoice in this context, Habakkuk takes into account all of the troubles that Israel faces and uses the word “rejoice” to indicate joy in the midst of tough times.

We can rejoice when we remember how God has blessed us in the past as He brought us to the present.

We can rejoice when see what God has done and is still doing today.

If God has blessed us before, He will bless us again, so we shall rejoice.

If God has healed us before, He can heal us again, so we shall rejoice.

If God has lifted us before, He can lift us again, so we shall rejoice.

Closing

So in closing, my brothers and sisters I encourage you to “rejoice”; do it again in spite of the situation.

We ought to stand like Habakkuk and declare, "Yet I will rejoice!"

Today, let us choose joy, trust in God's faithfulness, and offer up praise and gratitude in all circumstances.

Why? Because the Lord is with us!

& Because he is with us, there is:

Peace in the midst of your Problems

Calm in the midst of your chaos

Gladness in the midst of your sorrows

Delight in the midst of your darkness

Freedom in the midst of your fears

Grace in the midst of your grief

Inspiration in the midst of your insecurities

Joy in the midst of your journey

Assurance in the midst of your affliction

Despite what we may face, let us hold fast to the truth that He is with us, He is for us, and He will never leave us nor forsake us.