AN ALTERNATIVE TO GIVING UP

Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be on the vines…I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

In today’s world, we see an overwhelming number of people who will move from one position to another at the drop of a hat. When the circumstances get a little tough everybody abandons ship. There are few who will stay the course to get through the bad times. Fear grips the heart of the faithless with the release of every bad news article. Things like, “Oh the stock market is crashing because of one bad day of business.”

The question is this; will we, as God’s people, stand for Christ when things around us fail? When jobs fail, when the economy goes south, when sickness strikes, when shortages occur or when storms threaten, will we stand up and be counted as faithful to Christ.

We can be sure that not everything in life is going to be perfect. Each of us is sure to suffer, to hurt, to lose, and to be wronged. This only means that we are no different than anyone else on the planet. We are taught in scripture that it rains on both the just and unjust. It is, however, how we respond to these adversities that differentiates us from everyone else. When trouble comes, we have options. We can join the crowd by complaining, murmuring, abandoning hope, running away, or quitting altogether. Or, we can take that moment to grasp onto our faith even stronger than ever. We can take a step back, take a deep breath, and remind ourselves that we serve a God that is in complete control.

You see, by quitting and running away from our problems we miss an opportunity to see God at work. In addition, it should be said that it is likely that problems will find you in your new “place” as well. Sometimes trouble follows us. On September 14, 1992 Paul Harvey told this story: “After Hurricane Andrew, Patricia Christy, waiting in line for food in south Florida, vowed that she was going to get out that state. She was going to leave on the first plane out. She was determined to get as far away from the horror of hurricane damage as she possibly could and have a restful vacation. I have just heard from Patricia Christy. She was standing in line for fresh water on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, having just gone through Hurricane Iniki.”

Running, complaining, and quitting are not the answers for our victory. The prophet Habakkuk gives us a sure fire way to overcome difficulty. “I will joy in the God of my salvation”, he said. We ought to acknowledge that no matter what is happening around us, no matter how bleak the situation may seem, God is still the God of our salvation.

He will bring meaning to our suffering if our hearts remain fixed upon him. He only has the ability to turns your tests and trials into greater victories. The next time you feel twisted and torn by the difficulties that you face or the next time you feel that these problems have left you void of purpose and worth, think upon this: A $5 bar of steel that is cut into ordinary horseshoes is worth $10. A $5 bar of steel that is cut into needles in worth $350. That same bar of steel cut into delicate springs for watches becomes worth $250,000.

You may feel twisted, torn, and broken into pieces. But for those who joy in the God of their salvation, hope is near and their life is of greater value than ever before.