“Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in
the stalls, Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And
makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed
instruments.” (Habakkuk 3:17–19, NASB95)

The prophet Habakkuk looked at perceived injustice when he saw the
judgment of Judah. He cried out for God to explain to him how a holy God
could use ungodly Babylon to judge his people. God answered that “The
righteous will live by faith.” Habakkuk accepted God’s answer by faith and
worshipped Him with a heart of thanksgiving. Habakkuk’s life was hard
because of Judah’s rebellion and the pending judgment of God upon the
people. Israel was the fig and olive tree that would fail and have no
blossoms or fruit. Yet, Habakkuk determined to worship God as the God
of his salvation. Though everything might disappear and be destroyed,
Habakkuk vowed to be thankful to a gracious God. Because God had been
faithful in the past, God will be faithful in the future.
The Apostle Paul would make a similar statement in His letter to the
church in Philippi – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”
(Philippians 4:4, NASB95) Faith stands on the grace of God and not
outward circumstances. We can and should always give thanks because
God is faithful, and we are saved. We should never let circumstances rob
us of a grateful heart.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving,
In His Service,
Pastor Cary