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REJOICE EVEN IN PAINS (Hab. 3:17-19)

REJOICE EVEN IN PAINS (Hab. 3:17-19) 
  17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, 
Nor fruit be on the vines; 
Though the labor of the olive may fail, 
And the fields yield no food; 
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, 
And there be no herd in the stalls —  
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, 
I will joy in the God of my salvation. 
19 The Lord God is my strength; 
He will make my feet like deer's feet, 
And He will make me walk on my high hills. 

The people of Israel had sinned against God and faced the consequence of their sins. They would face had times and be punished by the Babylonians for a certain length of time. In his prayer to God for help, prophet Habakkuk reminded God of all the good and awesome things their fore fathers had enjoyed in the past. He concluded by what we have as our text this morning that he would still praise and rejoice in God the maker of all things. Why? He knew God would make the enemies of the Babylonians to treat them the same way they have treated the Israelites, that is, violence would turn back to the violent. On the surface, God’s power is not always visible, but the person of faith knows God is behind it all. He did not base his sense of judgment on what he could see but rather what God was about to achieve through the present situation they were going through. He was of the opinion that God can decide to lose a battle so as to win a war. It was as if God was no longer capable of saving the Israelites when their enemies came against them and over powered them, but God wanted the enemies to be utterly destroyed and that Israel might come back to be dependent on Him alone. The Israelites were to surfer shame and disgrace and their land devastated beyond imagination. 
Naturally, the fig tree was expected to bare fruits at its season and even vines to bring about grapes and so with all other cash crops to produce and bring about prosperity, but that did not happen when the Israelites were exiled. The whole land was devastated and there was no hope for the returnees yet the prophet expressed that he would still rejoice in the Lord. How many children of God will be able to say the prayer of the prophet if the same circumstance prevails? As Christians we should find it convenient to rejoice always in whatever God allows us to pass through. It is certain that He will never leave us alone or forsake us. Do not run to conclusion that God had forsaken you or the children of God in this nation, God is only trying to bring out something glorious for us, He will never fail us (Is.49:14-16, 24-26). There are certain things that we may bring about if we learn to rejoice even in pains, some of them are mentioned here. 
You can rejoice before the Lord and bring about victory at war as done by Jehoshaphath and his people (2Chr. 20). When there was a problem, they sang praises to God and God went to fight the battle on their behalf. 
Rejoicing can bring about deliverance, Paul and Silas were singing praises to God in the prison and their chains came loose and the prison doors flew open which consequently led to their deliverance from the power of the prison (Acts 16:25ff). 
Rejoicing can bring about more victories as the Israelites often did in their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land (Ex. 15). 
When Christian surfers as we have it today especially in our country, it could bring about further spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Phil.1:12ff). We can also rejoice even in pains because it could be a proof that we also share from the sufferings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (1Pet.4:13). Learn to rejoice always so that your joy can be a lasting one. Stay always in the presence of God, for there you will find peace and joy. Remain blessed in the Lord. 
PRAYER POINTS FOR THE WEEK 
Monday: - Appreciate God for what you are going through for now. 
Tuesday: - Lord, as I rejoice in you, grant me victory always IJN 
Wednesday: - Deliver me o Lord from every form of imprisonment I might have been placed IJN 
Thursday: - Please Lord, fight against all my enemies for they are too much for me IJN 
Friday: - Arise o Lord and fight all who may be fighting against Seed of Life IJN 
Saturday: - Father of all nations, please fight against all the beasts eating up Nigeria IJN 

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