Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vine....
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 high hills.
I love this verse from Habakkuk. There is a reality in the message that I think is not being shared with people. A message that resonates with truth and with the promises of God.
I think that for whatever reason, some recovery meetings have been sending out the wrong message. They have, maybe unknowingly and unintentionally, packaged a message that says, "Come to Jesus and your life will be wonderful!"
Come to Jesus and all your relationship that have been destroyed by your using will be healed and put back together.
Come to Jesus and all your problems will go away.
Come to Jesus!
We package and present Him as though He were a modern day version of snake oil being shopped in a road side carnival. A panacea that is part spot remover and miracle tonic.
This has got to stop.
What is it that Jesus brings to us when we do give will and life over to His care?
Hope!
But it is a hope that looks beyond our next heart beat, beyond our next step. It is a hope that looks beyond even life here and now. It looks to the person of Jesus that He is more than willing and able to take us through whatever happens on this side of heaven.
Will there be trials? You bet'cha!
Will there be troubles? Bet on it!
Will there be temptations and maybe even some failure? Bank on it.
But!!!!
If I give myself to Jesus...
If He becomes the voice that I truly listen for, and then follow, I can go through anything.
That is a promise...
And that is reality.
When I invited Jesus into my life and my plans....I can face anything. And hasn't that been our biggest problem? Not wanting to face anything. We automatically bail on every hard thing, running to our D.O.C. for comfort.
Jesus will whisper to us, "Stand still and watch! I will be here with you. I won't leave you or turn my back on you."
I love the 23rd Psalm...the Shepherds psalm written by King David.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
David wrote that even in the darkest of times when there seems to be no way out...God was there to help him walk through whatever David was facing. More than that, God provided a level of comfort as this situation was faced and dealt with. That is a real comfort to me this morning.
I have no clue as to what this day holds for me.
It may be my last one.
I don't know.
But I do know this.
Jesus is worthy to be trusted. He is worthy for me to lay hold of His hand and say, "Let's go see what today holds."
And that is exactly what I will do.
God on you...
mb
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