All of us experience tough times. We all face struggles from time to time. Everything doesn’t always operate as smoothly as we would like. Our plans don’t always work out as we envision them. We attempt to comfort one another with, “I know what you’re going through.” “I’ve been there before.” But it usually doesn’t help much while we are in the middle of a mess.
We watch folks who aren’t even trying to live for Christ, but prospering anyway, and we feel like throwing in the towel. We sometimes become angry and judgmental because we’re struggling to do the right things and falling flat on our faces. It would be so easy to simply give in, give up, and walk away from God and the church. But, how would that help? Hard times are hard times, I don’t care who you are.
Habakkuk 3:17 gives us a pretty good sense of utter failure and how it can brutally affect our lives. The scripture states, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.” A perfect case of nothing working out right. Everything falling apart.
What do you do when absolutely nothing is working?
What can we say to all these things?
Hallelujah, anyhow!
There may be times when the people we have trusted the most suddenly turn their backs on us and walk away just when we need them most. When the factory that has been experiencing phenomenal growth announces a layoff out of nowhere. When it looks like your marriage is getting back on track after some major complications and you and your spouse are getting along better than ever, but they suddenly walk out the door. When you’re about to lose your house or your car because you are so far behind on your payments.
Hallelujah, anyhow!
When it looked like your son or daughter was finally going to surrender to Jesus, they get mixed up with the wrong crowd, again. When everything and everyone lets you down.
Hallelujah, anyhow!
Verse 18 says, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” The Hebrew word for ‘YET” means to protest, testify, to encompass, stand upright, restore, give warning, and call to record. Even though it looks like everything is about to be lost forever, YET, I will rejoice in the Lord!
Just because success seems to be out of reach, you’re not counted out of the fight. Now is the time to lift your voice in protest against everything the enemy is throwing at you. It’s time to let him know that enough is enough.
I’m going to rejoice in the Lord anyway. I’m going to stand up in the face of trouble and boldly proclaim that the Lord God is my strong tower. He alone is my shield and buckler. He alone is my provider; my strength and my joy. He alone speaks peace during my troubled times. He alone stocks my cabinets when groceries are getting thin.
While I’m standing against all odds proclaiming the Name of the Lord, I’m also warning the enemy that he’s got another thing coming if he thinks I’m going to give up. I’ve come too far to quit now. I’ve been through too much to throw in the towel. I’m done bowing to the shadow of fear and the weight of worry.
As I stand on the Rock with a praise on my lips, the Lord will fight my battles. He will quench the fiery darts of the enemy. I might look like a mess to everybody else. I might not look like I’ve got it all together. But I have somebody on my side that will ensure that I won’t be crushed by my circumstances. I may have lost some things in my life. I may have lost some friends. But I have not lost the one thing that makes me complete. And that, my friend, is Jesus!
Jesus has never left me, nor has He forsaken me. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. He does not change. He doesn’t look at us cock-eyed when we do something stupid and turn His back. No, sir. No, ma’am. He is faithful. We have nothing to fear when stuff ain’t going just right. Simply lift a praise to Him.
Hallelujah, anyhow!
Who is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords?
Who is the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the Valley?
Who is the Author and the Finisher of our faith?
His name is Jesus!
Now, say it with me – Hallelujah, anyhow!
