Read: Habakkuk 3:1-4, 16-19
Though the fig tree should not blossom . . . yet I will rejoice in the LORD. (vv. 17-18)
Have you experienced a season of life in which you felt isolated in your suffering? When others seem to be thriving while we are struggling, we can wonder if remaining faithful in seeking God with our whole hearts is worth it. In my own life, I easily lose heart when I compare my difficult circumstances to others’ seemingly carefree lives. So how do we cultivate faith in God’s goodness even though all we can see in our own lives is devastation?
Our passage today reminds us where to fix our gaze in such seasons. Even though all the prophet Habakkuk sees when he looks around him is evidence of a world turned evil, the key to understanding our passage today lies a few verses earlier, in Habakkuk 2:4: “the righteous shall live by his faith.” At the end of his lament, Habakkuk determines to live by faith and not sight, even though nothing around him is growing or flourishing.
Likewise, it’s only when we turn our gaze back to God in the “even though” seasons of life that we know what it means to be faithful when everything is going wrong. God holds the whole of our story in mind, and he knows that floundering seasons are just a chapter; what matters is that we turn to him in our hurt. Indeed, it’s in these seasons that flourishing looks like learning to walk by faith, not by sight.
As you pray, ask God to help your faith flourish in the “even though” seasons of your life.
Katelyn J. Dixon is a contemplative writer, speaker, and poet living in the Seattle area. In her free time, Katelyn enjoys cooking, photography, and exploring the enchanting Pacific Northwest with her husband, Drew, while partnering with him in life and ministry.
