01/05/2026
Rejoice in the Lord (a devotion from 'Daily Discipleship'by LeRoy Eims)
Read the book of Habakkuk
โDo not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.โ Nehemiah 8:10
The book of Habakkuk contains a passage you can cling to when the bottom falls out of everything. 'Though the ๏ฌg tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the ๏ฌelds produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my savior' (Habakkuk 3:17-18.)
I know of a missionary who has laboured for twenty-๏ฌve years with very few people responding to the gospel. Yet he clings to this passage in Habakkuk and ๏ฌnds comfort and encouragement. I think also of a mother who reared two children in a godly home. When they came of age, both daughters decided to follow the ways of the world. This praying woman continues to trust in the Lord. I know a man who spent the greater part of his life working for a large corporation. After twenty-๏ฌve years of faithful service, he was ๏ฌred without notice. Eventually, he also lost his home and his savings, but not his peace of mind.
Joy is not a matter of good fortune and pleasant circumstances. Joy is a decision, and God is the focus. Christian, what are your disappointments? What circumstances have gone wrong for you and are sapping your joy? I challenge you to memorize the passage from Habakkuk and claim it each morning. Finding our joy in the Lord is a matter of will โ a decision we can make because of the love and faithfulness of God.
Lord, show me how to ๏ฌx my inward gaze on You, my hope and my joy. Amen.
To Ponder: Circumstances can defeat us only when weโve taken our eyes off the Source of our joy.
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