Rejoicing in Hope

     “Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and their be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
-Habakkuk 3:17-18 (ESV)

  I don’t know of any other verses in the Bible which shouts hope than those verses in Habakkuk.  Underlined and page-worn in my trusty ESV pocket Bible, those verses are very dear to my heart.  To my “prone to wander…prone to leave the God I love” heart, they are medicine and tonic which never loses its potency.
    When those hopeless times come, and I began to stray from the Strength and Joy of my life, I am often reminded through God’s Word to rejoice.  And why shouldn’t I rejoice??
Christ has given me a living hope.   He is my hope and my joy.  He has promised He will be there, He will be enough and He will never leave or forsake me.  So many verses in both the Old and New Testament speak of the joyousness of hope and of our duty to praise the Lord as a reflection of our trust and hope in Him.

“Rejoice in hope…” Paul reminds us in Romans 12:12.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul,
        and why are you in turmoil within me?
    Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
        my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 43:5 ESV)

   “But I will hope continually
        and will praise you yet more and more.”
(Psalm 71:14 ESV)

“The hope of the righteous brings joy,
        but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”
(Proverbs 10:28 ESV)

Isaiah 12 is one of my favorite “hope” chapters. Although it doesn’t directly refer to hope in word, it explains the essence of rejoicing in hope.  I have read it to bring hope to my troubled or discouraged heart many times.

    You will say in that day:
    “I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
        for though you were angry with me,
    your anger turned away,
        that you might comfort me.
    “Behold, God is my salvation;
        I will trust, and will not be afraid;
    for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
        and he has become my salvation.”
    With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day:
    “Give thanks to the LORD,
        call upon his name,
    make known his deeds among the peoples,
        proclaim that his name is exalted.
    “Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
        let this be made known in all the earth.
    Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
        for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
    (Isaiah 12 ESV)

Isn’t that great?!  It gets me excited just reading it again! On my worst days, I read that chapter and it gives me hope.  I look at the first few lines and can say “one day, this trial will be over and I will be able to look back with a smile and see God’s hand on my life.  I will be able to praise Him, realizing how wonderful of plan He designed for me.  Yes, it was hard, but His love enabled me to walk through it with joy!” 
So, I encourage you all to remember.  The trial you are going through, the hard time, the relationship struggles, the pain and sorrow you are facing…it all will pass.  You will see the dawn of a new day.  Face it with a smile and with joy in your heart, praising the Lord for His faithfulness and love for you.  He will be with you. He will be enough.  And someday, you may look back and laugh at how tiny that trial was compared to the joy and hope that Jesus gave you.

    May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
(Romans 15:13 ESV)