Habakkuk 3:17,18 “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 Saviour.”
By the end of the book of Habakkuk, the prophet has learnt to rest in God’s appointments and await his working in a spirit of worship, however painful and hopeless Judah’s situation seemed. How often we or our loved ones face circumstances beyond our control, comprehension, or capacity to withstand. There are seldom easy answers to offer up.
H.G. Spafford was a successful lawyer from Chicago endowed with huge wealth. He had a strong Christian faith, and was blessed with a beautiful wife and four daughters. One summer, Mrs. Spafford and all four daughters boarded a ship to travel to Europe and do a grand tour of the cities, the art galleries, and the theatre. Tragically, disaster struck mid-Atlantic as their ship collided with another vessel and quickly sank. Very few people were rescued, but Mrs. Spafford was one of them. She was able to send a cable to her husband: ‘All lost! I alone remain. What shall I do?’ But that was not all – there had been a sudden bank crash in Chicago, and Mr. Spafford had lost all his wealth. He had suddenly gone from being a very wealthy man to a very poor one.
So, what did he do? Did he give up, become bitter, and blame God? No, he sat down and wrote these moving words:
‘When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul!’
How the words of that hymn have ministered to millions over the ensuing generations!
God, grant me the same faith to cling to you and not get bitter when things go wrong in my life. Amen!
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