Yet I Will Rejoice

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18)

As Habakkuk observed the state of his nation, Judah, he was worried and confused. Judah was flooded with immorality and iniquity. How could God allow such evil? How long would God remain silent and let evil thrive?

Habakkuk questioned God in Habakkuk 1:3: “Must I forever see this sin and sadness all around me?”

Sin and sadness surround us today, just as it surrounded Habakkuk in his day.

Evil exists. Evil is real. But so is God, and God will triumph over evil.

When we wonder about God’s purpose in the world, and in our lives, we must remember that God has a plan and it will not be thwarted. God told Habakkuk, “Look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it” (Habakkuk 1:5). God was already doing something. God had a plan, and it was a plan beyond Habakkuk’s comprehension.

We may not understand God’s plan for our lives, and that’s OK. If we always understood God, he wouldn’t be any smarter than we are, and what a mess that would be! But even when we don’t understand it, we can be confident his plan is for our ultimate good. God’s plan is always gracious, wise, and loving. And it’s always better than our plan.

God’s job is to guide our lives. Our job is to trust him. Because he guides us and because he is worthy of our trust, we can rejoice in any situation.

Habakkuk 3:17 starts off with these words, “even if…” For Habakkuk, it was even if the fig tree doesn’t grow figs. Even if there are no cattle in the barns and even if the fields lie empty and barren.

What is your, “even if?” Even if I’m sick. Even if I lose my job. Even if I never get married. Even if I don’t understand what God is doing in my life.

You know what comes after, even if? Verse 18 says, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord!” Whatever your “even if” is today, remember the words that come next: “Yet I will rejoice.”  

Be filled with courage and determination. Trust in God’s plan. Rest confidently in his love. And, regardless of your circumstances, rejoice in the One who saved you and holds your life carefully and lovingly in his hands. “Even if…yet I will rejoice!

Father, thank you for blessing me and my family. Thank you for your love for me. May I rejoice in your salvation every day, in every circumstance. Even if I don’t understand your plan, yet I will rejoice. I put my faith in you. I trust you with my life. In Jesus’s name, amen.