Salvation Outweighs Suffering

Salvation Outweighs Suffering

Habakkuk has come full circle. He has come to a place of trust in the sovereignty of God in all of his circumstances. He may be watching his world fall apart. He doesn't have the answers he would have hoped for. He may not see a quick resolution to life's problems. As a matter of fact, he may think they will get worse. YET he declares his choice to rejoice in the Lord and to joy in the God of his salvation. He chooses worship over worry. He chooses to remember and joy in the simple fact that God is his salvation. He chooses to trust that the Lord will be his strength in the days ahead and that the outcome will be a greater confidence in God. He trusts that where He leads will be good.

You and I have choices to make when we see things beginning to crumble or when things come out of nowhere and knock us off our feet. No one desires to suffer, but how we will suffer can be something we prepare for. Habakkuk is preparing for the unknown. "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" (Habakkuk 3:18,19). These are the things that may or may not happen. He doesn't know for sure. What he does know for sure is that regardless of what is to come he has made up his mind- YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

Regardless of the unknowns you and I face, may we choose to worship and choose to rejoice that we are His! We can have joy because no matter what, God is our salvation!

C.J. Mahaney in "Living The Cross Centered Life" says, "He (Habakkuk) turned his attention away from suffering and fixed it upon the more vital issue of salvation. In your own times of severe distress which are you more aware of- your suffering or your salvation?"

The Puritan Thomas Watson says, "Your sufferings are not so great as your salvation. Put these two in the balances and see which weighs heaviest."

The choice is ours. How will you and I choose to suffer? -- Kathy Withers is on staff full-time at the Keswick Book and Gift Shop. She is married to her husband, Dave, and has two adult children. Kathy is active in her local church. Her passion is the Word of God and encouraging women to dig deeper into the truths of the Bible.