Share This Page
TL;DR:
Habakkuk 3:17–19 teaches that we can find strength and joy in God even when everything around us seems to collapse. The prophet Habakkuk lived amid political chaos and moral decline in Judah in the late seventh century BCE. His example calls us to persistent faith, resilient joy, and steadfast hope in dark times, confident that God’s ultimate victory is certain.
What meaning do the final words of Habakkuk have for us today? How can Habakkuk help us find joy during difficult times?
Habakkuk 2
2 Then the Lord replied:Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come
and will not delay.4 See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness.
Habakkuk 3
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. …2 Lord, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
— Habakkuk 2:2–4; 3:1–2, 17–19 (NIV)
Some years ago, I rode with a truck driver from the Italian port of Leghorn inland to Florence. A native of Livorno (“Leghorn” is the English name for that city), he had participated in the anti-Nazi underground resistance during the final months of World War II.
During our hour-and-a-half trip, he talked about how absurd it had been for Mussolini to think Italy could win a war against much of the world. Italy, he said, had been neither militarily nor economically prepared for war in the late 1930s. Mussolini failed to recognize that reality because he would not listen to others.
When Italian forces suffered major defeats in North Africa and later in Sicily, whatever confidence the Italian public had in its dictatorial leader rapidly dissipated. These defeats reinforced the perception that Mussolini listened only to himself. (See missionary stories from Italy.)
Habakkuk's message is that our Creator is utterly different from human rulers. Habakkuk tells us that the Lord heard and answered him.
Adverse circumstances need not threaten our faith in the Lord. In fact, communing with Him deepens our reverential trust and faith.
That stands in stark contrast to Mussolini's leadership. The more the Italians came to know him, the less they trusted him. Yet, almost to the very end, Mussolini kept telling his listeners that German scientists were secretly developing superweapons that would turn the tide of the war.
God has no need of secret weapons to ensure His victory. Even when the worst imaginable circumstances arise, we can confidently say with Habakkuk, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord” (3:18). No matter how dark the day, we are assured of God's ultimate victory.
Habakkuk 3:17–19 was among the first texts I used as a teenage preacher. Over the years, it has become one of my “sugar sticks,” as preachers have sometimes called sermons to which they frequently return.
I first used it in services at several senior living communities, where I quickly discovered that senior adults could be encouraging audiences for a struggling young preacher. Then, during the summer after my freshman year at college, I was asked to speak in the large college church. To help overcome my stage fright, I turned to this now-familiar passage from Habakkuk. About five years later, I preached from the passage in a seminary preaching class taught by the late James McGraw.
My sermons on Habakkuk 3:17–19 have never seemed to stir people. I doubt that anyone today would recall hearing me preach Fountain of Joy. Nevertheless, its message remains relevant to daily life. Dr. McGraw wrote on his evaluation sheet that one of the sermon's strengths was the “relevance of the theme to this audience today.”
Habakkuk's message is that we can have confidence in God's wisdom and providence even when we do not understand some of life's most difficult problems.
“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength” (Habakkuk 3:18–19).
I wrote this devotional blog post while Barbara and I were serving as missionaries in Italy. It is one of a series of 52 brief devotionals written for The Standard, a weekly Faith Connections take-home curriculum piece for adult Sunday school classes published by the Church of the Nazarene.
Habakkuk 3:17–19 conveys a message of faith, resilience, and trust in God amid difficult circumstances. Here are four lessons we can learn from these verses:
Habakkuk 3:17–19 is a powerful reminder to maintain faith, joy, and trust in God even amid adversity. It calls us to remain steadfast and find strength in God's provision and guidance.
Memorable Quotes About Other Bible Verses
Habakkuk is one of the twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. He wrote his book during a time of political and social turmoil in the ancient Near East. Understanding the cultural and historical context of Habakkuk's writing provides insight into his message and themes. Here are some key aspects of that context:
H — Hope endures when troubles rise; God's sovereignty is never shaken.
A — Although answers are delayed, we wait in faith, trusting His perfect timing.
B — Belief blooms in the heart that reveres and communes with the Lord.
A — Amid confusion, we anchor in God's wisdom and providence.
K — Knowing God brings joy even in the bleakest seasons.
K — Keep rejoicing, for His light outshines every shadow.
U — Uplifted by His strength, we walk steadily on life's roughest paths.
K — Kneeling in trust, we discover joy that overcomes adversity.
Like acrostics? Here are more of them.