![Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; 3:[3b-6], 17-19 , Advent I: Faith as a Way of Life](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56b39b61ab48de92d991a40a/f8fd704f-4c6d-461f-91bb-03191590bb77/22.11.27.jpg)
Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, November 27, 2022
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Habakkuk chose to rejoice in God despite the violence and destruction he saw all around him.
The prophet Habakkuk saw nothing but destruction, violence, wrong-doing, wickedness, and a lack of justice. If we spend too much time watching news or scrolling our social media feeds, it can be easy for us too, to see only destruction, violence, and wickedness. Wars plague the earth, human beings are trafficked and tortured, hurricanes and wildfires destroy—it can be easy to fall into despair and wonder if this planet is worth saving.
But Habakkuk saw something else, too. Habakkuk saw the presence of God despite the lack of goodness all around him. Despite the lack of fruit on the trees, the flocks cut off from the fold, and no herd in the stalls, he saw God. He rejoiced in God. The circumstances were still dire; in the midst of the ugliness, Habakkuk chose joy.
We can’t always let our joy depend on external circumstances. If we wait for circumstances to change so that we are only surrounded by goodness, we will wait forever. Violence and destruction will always be around us. But we can work to look with God’s eyes to see beauty even among the ugliness. We can choose joy and rejoice in a God of beauty, peace, justice, and love.
[This doesn’t apply to people suffering from mental illness like anxiety or depression. Mental illness is not a choice people make. Joy can be hard to find in the depths of depression. If you are depressed so that you cannot imagine ever experiencing joy, please seek help immediately.]
