10月24日
标 题：我要欢欣！
经 节：虽然无花果树不发旺，葡萄树不结果，橄榄树也不效力，田地不出粮食，圈中绝了羊，棚内也没有牛；然而，我要因耶和华欢欣，因救我的神喜乐。（哈巴谷书三章17～18节）
有时候，我们周围每件事彷佛都成了泡影。你一切的努力可能都付诸东流。你所辅导的人可能令你十分失望。你所创建的生意或事业可能粉碎了。在这些困难的时刻应该要停下来，检验什么对你是真正重要的。
哈巴谷曾经亲眼看到自己所重视的东西都成了泡影。然而，经由这些损失、失败和失望，他能够分辨清楚什么对他是最珍贵的，什么对他是短暂无常与空虚的。他到了一个地步，能诚挚地说，即使失去身边所有的东西，他仍能因神而喜乐。如果无花果树不结果，如果葡萄树不结葡萄，如果牛群羊群不繁殖，他仍然赞美神。当一切不照他所期待的发生时，要赞美神并不是那么容易的。但是，他无论如何就是要赞美神。哈巴谷没办法使无花果树发旺，长出无花果。他也没办法控制牛群羊群的繁殖，但是他可以控制自己对神的反应。他选择赞美神。
你身边的事是否都粉碎了？你仍然可以赞美神。你对祂的赞美并非决定于你努力所得的成就，而是赞美祂的本性、祂对你的爱与祂的信实。求神帮助你轻看属世的顾虑，了解自己为何要赞美神的原因。
I Will Rejoice!
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–Yet I will rejoice in
the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)
At
times it seems that everything around you is collapsing. Endeavors you invested
in may fail. People to whom you minister may disappoint you. The business or
career you worked hard to build may crumble. These times, as difficult as they
are, are opportunities to stop and examine what is truly important to you.
Habakkuk
witnessed the collapse of most of what mattered to him. Yet through the loss,
failure, and disappointment, he was able to distinguish between what was
precious to him and what was transitory and empty. He came to the point where
he could sincerely say that even if everything around him failed, he still
would rejoice in God. If the fig tree bore no fruit; if the vine produced no
grapes; if the flocks and herds stopped reproducing; he would still praise God.
His praise might not come easily, as he watched everything fall short of his
expectations, but he would praise God nonetheless. Habakkuk could not make fig
trees produce figs. He could not control the productivity of the flocks and
herds, but he could control his own response to God. He chose to praise the
Lord.
Do
things seem to be falling apart around you? You can still praise God. Your
praise for Him does not depend on the success of your endeavors but on God’s
nature and His love and faithfulness to you. Ask God to help you look past
worldly concerns to understand the reasons you have to praise Him.
