When Everything Amounts to Nothing

Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crops fails and the fields 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.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength,
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

The fig tree, like any other trees take time to grow and takes patience, love and care for it to nurture. The planting of grape seeds in the vineyard is not easy. In order for the vines to yield fruits, it must be taken care of very well. The planting of many kinds of vegetables in the fields is also a difficult task. The rearing of sheep requires a lot of commitment and strength. All of these contribute to life. It is necessary to have income and food for survival.

When our labor does not pay off, we face difficulty. When all our years of toil amount to nothing, we lose hope. No food to eat, no income, no survival. Yet, Habakkuk has the heart to say “I will rejoice in the Lord although I have nothing left.”

The verse talks not only about food and money. It also gives us the interpretation of our works and labor in every day activities. When the amount of time spent preparing for an event comes to naught, the feeling of disappointment and anger seeps into our heart. We get bitter at God and we ask Him why is He so mean to treat us like that although we have worked so hard. When our expectations are not met, we lose our hope and we will not dare to expect something else better next time round. When there is nothing in life that is going the way we want it to go, what do we do?

Habakkuk is able to find his joy in God even when he has nothing earthly to gain. We can’t help but to wonder what did God give him that made him so joyful amidst hardships. He goes on to say that he will be joyful in God his Savior. This tells us that he finds joy in God because God is his Savior. Habakkuk then says that God is his strength. God makes his feet like a deer’s and enables him to go on the heights.

Here we get a picture of God giving strength to Habakkuk and this enables him to climb the mountains. On the mountain he meets God. Just like how the eagle goes on the mountain and stay still for days to draw strength from the sun, we should go to the “mountains” to draw our strength from God.

Note that Habakkuk also acknowledges that God is a Sovereign God. Now we can know why he is able to find joy in God even though his life sucks (like how we people of modern day puts it)

God is your Savior; He gives us the gift of salvation through Jesus. God is Sovereign; God knows what He is doing. God is your strength: He gives us strength to go on with life. God is your Guide: He guides us to the heights and there He wants us to be still and know that He is God.