Hardships Versus Joy

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the folds, and there shall 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, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places…”  Habakkuk 3:17-19a

We’ve all heard that old saying about the man who was down in the dumps, and his friends said, “Cheer up.  It could be worse.”  The depressed man said, “So I cheered up, and sure enough things got worse.”  Our current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected every part of the world is nothing like anything those of us living in this generation have faced.  Yes, there have been other pandemics, such as the Spanish flu, but that was over 100 years ago.  There was the swine flu, but I just vaguely remember that one.  Thank the Lord, I haven’t had the flu since the year 2000 and, so far, I have escaped the coronavirus.  I did have pneumonia in 2010, and that was no picnic.

Many of us wonder why this disease has taken such a hold over the nations of the world.  With all of our modern medical advances, one would think that a vaccine or cure would have already been developed.  It just goes to show us that man doesn’t have all the answers.  It is almost like we are flying blind here.  The economy was humming along, people had jobs, business was good for most companies, and it seemed like this would go on and on, and then it all came to a standstill.  We went from waltzing through Walmart with no thought of not finding what we needed to buy to having to stand in line to get in and hoping that the shelves were well stocked.  It is an eerie feeling to see empty shelves where everyday necessities used to rest.  We also have to act like we did when we were kids, you know, staying away from others because they had “cooties” except that these cooties can make us sick or even worse.

The people of ancient Israel suffered all kinds of pandemics:  wars, droughts, famines, and pestilences (deadly diseases), to name a few.  These were punishments that God sent their way because of their disobedience and idolatry.  When the usual forms of punishments ceased to bring any lasting repentance and a permanent return to the LORD, God would have to bring more severe punishment to these stubborn and rebellious people.  However, the prophet Habakkuk, after giving warning after warning to the people, could see beyond the hardships and pain, to rejoice in the LORD, the God of salvation.  Everything that happens on earth is only temporary.  Our lives are just a blip on the radar of time.  On the other hand, eternity is forever.

The prophet went on to exclaim that his strength was found in the LORD God who would make his feet like those of a swift and agile deer, which is able to run and leap and escape his enemy.  The deer can also climb among the rocks to find a place of refuge from those who would try to destroy him.  When we, like Habakkuk, depend on the LORD, He will protect and provide for us.  That doesn’t mean that we won’t get sick or hurt or be oppressed by the enemy.  We live in a fallen world, a world filled with sin, selfishness, and greed, but the LORD will be with us in whatever situation we may face.  When this pandemic is finally over, hopefully sooner rather than later, we will remember what we went through for a while, but if history proves anything it shows that we will eventually go right back to our busy lives as if this was all a bad dream, at least until the next major event strikes.  After 9/11 the churches were packed for about three weeks, and then it was business as usual.  What will it take to turn the hearts and minds of folks to the only way of salvation?