When Being Thankful Is Hard
When we are needy, lacking some type of provision, worried about the future, is it still reasonable and possible to praise God?
Habakkuk 3:17-19 shouts “Yes!” These verses have always resonated with me, urging me to give thanks to the Lord no matter what happens, and no matter how depressed I feel.
“Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vine; though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food; though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength.”
Notice why Habakkuk could write those words. No matter what, he knew that nothing could alter or erase his salvation, and that the Lord would strengthen him in (and perhaps through) the affliction.
Perhaps he understood that this life is not all there is, and even in his current pain, he knew from experience that the Lord would sustain him. Recently, after reading this text, I wrote my own personal version of Habakkuk 3:17-19. Of course, my writing is not divinely inspired in the same way Habakkuk’s was, and it is certainly not an attempt to “improve” Scripture. It’s merely my attempt to apply the text to my life.
Though I often stand a step away from the abyss of crippling depression,
And emotional frailty marks all of my days,
And hypersensitivity makes me more vulnerable to hurt;
Though I’m burdened by the limitations Asperger syndrome imposes on my son,
And I’m often too emotionally involved to apply what I cognitively know about Asperger’s,
Which impairs my capacity to cultivate a closer relationship with him;
Though sleep deprivation and other physical issues leave me tired to the bone most afternoons,
And I have to pop a Ritalin to work effectively as the day progresses;
Though spinal degeneration often causes a flare-up of back pain,
And I can no longer mow my lawn or clean out the gutters;
Though I’m impatient and tend to complain too much when emotional and physical weariness sets in,
Spawning a downward spiral of self-criticism;
Yet I will exult in the Lord who weans me from earthly comforts
And cultivates within me more of an appreciation for and longing for heaven.
No kind of pain can void or eclipse what Christ did for me on the cross,
And no matter what, the Lord God is my strength and intimacy with Christ satisfies me.
What specific situations and challenges would you write in a personalized version of Habakkuk 3:17-19? What comes to mind when you see the phrase, “no matter what”?
To counter these challenges, read Psalm 103 and list all the reasons a Christian has to be thankful. What Habakkuk alludes to near the end of this text is greatly expanded by David in Psalm 103.
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise, give thanks to Him, bless His name.” Psalm 100:4
Great article Terry. We hope you and your family had a nice Thanksgiving! We send you and Dolly good wishes. Blessings Phyllis and Jim Sweatt