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There’s a Blessing in Rejoicing In Spite Of

Text: Habakkuk 3:17–19 (KJV)
Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.

Habakkuk is not preaching from a mountaintop of prosperity—he is speaking from the valley of loss, uncertainty, and fear. Everything that normally sustained life in Judah had failed. No crops. No livestock. No visible hope. Yet in the middle of it all, the prophet makes one of the strongest faith declarations in Scripture: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”

This teaches us a powerful truth: rejoicing is not rooted in circumstances, but in confidence in God. There is a blessing that comes when we learn how to rejoice in spite of what we see, feel, or experience.

Habakkuk lived during a time when judgment was coming upon Judah. The economy was collapsing, the nation was unstable, and the future looked bleak. The fig tree, vine, olive, fields, flocks, and herds represented every major source of income, food, and security. In modern language, Habakkuk is saying:

“Even if the paycheck stops, the savings dry up, the job is lost, the diagnosis is bad, and the future looks uncertain…”

Rejoicing is a choice, not a reaction.

1. Rejoicing Does Not Ignore Reality

Habakkuk does not deny the problem—he names it. Faith does not pretend trouble isn’t real; faith just refuses to let trouble have the final word.

👉 You can acknowledge the pain and still praise God.

Illustration:
A mature believer doesn’t say, “I’m not hurting.” They say, “I’m hurting, but I trust God.”

2. Rejoicing Shifts the Focus

Habakkuk says, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”
Notice—he doesn’t rejoice in the loss, but in the Lord.

👉 What you focus on determines how you feel.

• Focus on circumstances → discouragement
• Focus on Christ → strength

3. Rejoicing Declares Faith Before the Breakthrough

Habakkuk rejoiced before anything changed. This kind of praise is prophetic—it speaks victory before victory shows up.

Scripture Connection:

• Acts 16:25 – Paul and Silas praised God before the prison doors opened.
• Jehoshaphat’s army praised before the battle was won (2 Chronicles 20).

4. Rejoicing Releases Strength

Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

👉 When you rejoice:

• Strength replaces weariness
• Hope replaces despair
• Peace replaces panic

Rejoicing doesn’t remove the problem—but it renews the person facing the problem.

5. Rejoicing Anchors Us in Who God Is

Habakkuk says, “I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Even if God doesn’t change the situation immediately, He is still Savior, Provider, Healer, and Keeper.

👉 God is not diminished by your difficulty.

6. Rejoicing Is a Testimony to Others

When believers rejoice in hard seasons, it sends a message:

• God is real
• Faith is authentic
• Hope is alive

Your praise in spite of may be the sermon someone else needs to see.

7. There Is a Blessing Attached to Rejoicing

The blessing may not come instantly

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