Yet I Will Rejoice!
Debby DeStefano
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall 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
How is your week going? How is your year going? How is your life going? Is your life full of joy or are you miserable? Are you dealing with troubles and trials? What determines how you feel? Did you know that you can have joy in the midst of trying times? Will you be happy about all of your circumstances? No! But you can have deep down joy. It all depends on the choice that you make.
“Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.”
Psalms 128:1-2
Do you know that some of the most miserable and hurting people are those who seemingly have it all? The fame, the wealth, the prestige, and the power. But deep down they are totally depleted. They aren’t happy, they have no joy. That’s why we hear of so much suicide among this unhappy group. Why? They seem to have it all. But they are empty.
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy;
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Psalms 16:11
So where does this elusive joy come from? Only from the Lord! You can have all of this world and its riches, but if you don’t know the Lord as your personal Savior, you will never truly experience real joy and peace. There will always be a void that can only be filled by asking Him into your heart and life.
“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”
Psalms 5:11-12
So according to these verses, first you have to have a personal relationship with the Lord. A time in your life when you realized that you were a sinner and in need of a Savior. Then have asked the Lord for His forgiveness and invited Him into your heart to take over your life and trust only in Him. Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Have you done that before? Don’t depend on being a good person, being baptized, or any other works or deeds that you may have done. It’s a one-on-one relationship with the Lord. If you can’t remember a specific time in your life when you prayed a prayer similar to this, please don’t wait. Your eternity depends on it. Then when you have the Lord living in your heart, you will experience His holy presence, and He will fill you with His joy independent of your circumstances or trials.
“Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:”
Psalms 146:5-6
So that means that no matter what you are going through today or even tomorrow, God is already there to give you peace as only He can. Know that God is near to help you through the hard days if you will only ask Him. Then you can experience true joy even in your difficult times.
“… whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.”
Proverbs 16:20
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2-3
About the Author
Debby, the daughter of our church founder, has dedicated her life to serving God at Fairwinds Baptist Church. Now a retired pastor's wife, she continues to inspire us with uplifting devotionals, choosing joy despite her health struggles. Her unwavering faith enriches our community and reflects our mission to know God through Jesus Christ.
