Habakkuk 3:17-18 tells us “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, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” There are times in life where the circumstances don’t leave us with much to get excited about. Life can be hard, but we serve a God who is so incredibly good.
We need to have the courage of David who at one of the lowest moments of his life, encouraged Himself in the Lord. (I Samuel 30:6b) When things get hard, we need to focus on Jesus, the Source of all miracles. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Our source of hope is not in things which can be seen, but in the unseen realm, the Kingdom of God.
What we go through in life, is momentary. So many things happen that can disappoint us, but today I want to encourage you, don’t let those circumstances move you! Don’t allow temporary things to get your eyes off the eternal things, the things that really matter. The only hope for humanity is Jesus Christ. The only hope for the world is faith in Christ’s finished work. The work of the gospel is to get people’s focus off everything else and to get their eyes on the only Source of hope and salvation.
Miracles begin to take place when we get our eyes off our circumstances and onto Jesus. Even though life can be difficult and can make that very difficult to do, even when others have given up, God is looking for those who will continue to believe. Faith believe’s even when everyone else has given up.
John 11:40 tells us “Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40) Lazarus was dead and everyone had given up hope, Jesus demonstrated unshakable faith in God. Jesus is our model for faith and life. He raised Lazarus from the dead because He is the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25) He specializes in bringing dead situations to life, He’s the God of the turnaround, the God of miracles.
When the three Hebrew children were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace, they said “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)
These Hebrew children were facing death, impossibility, circumstances that couldn’t have looked much worse, and yet, they said “the God we serve is able to deliver us.” That’s faith. Faith that is not moved by awful, hopeless circumstances. Faith that rejoices in God in the midst of the toughest trial. What a miracle took place when Jesus showed up in the midst of that fire. God responds to faith in the face of fire!
When Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his only son, the one he had believed God for, for so many years. He believed God would raise Him from the dead if he had to. Hebrews 11:19 says “Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.”
Abraham was faced with the awfulness of having to sacrifice his precious and only son. The seed of God’s promise. As he lifted that knife he did it in faith and God responded by offering a ram of sacrifice. That ram, was a type of Jesus who would come as the ultimate sacrifice for sin for all humanity.
Faith believes God who says ‘yes’ when the circumstances say ‘no’. Today God is saying ‘yes’ to your healing. Now the circumstances may be saying ‘no’, but God’s Word says ‘yes’ and I want to stir your faith to believe in Christ’s finished work! Today God is wanting to come through for you. Every benefit of Christ’s finished work is your’s. Your healing, your deliverance, freedom from sin and all the curse of the law is yours because of the Cross. God is saying ‘yes’ to you!
Today there may be no buds on the fig tree, no grapes on the vine, the olive crop may have failed, the field may not be producing fruit, there may be no sheep in the pen, no cattle in the stalls, no hope at all. I want to encourage you, faith begins when we get our eyes off our circumstances and on to the finished work of Christ. Don’t allow your circumstances to move you or discourage you. Place your faith in God, He has the ability to change everything.
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