Rest and Reset: A 30-Day Devotional to Revive JoySample

The Lord God is your strength.

Where do you retreat when you need answers and strength to sustain you during the wait and outcome? Scripture teaches us to trust God, but what does that look like practically when your heart longs for an answer? Habakkuk experienced this intense longing when he cried out to the Lord through prayer, "O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!" Habakkuk was confused as he observed the scene around him. Evil seemed to dominate while the righteous endured suffering. God responded unexpectedly: relief and deliverance would come through a nation that was more terrible and dreadful—the Chaldeans. This was not the answer Habakkuk expected, but it was God's response, and His purposes would succeed.

Habakkuk had lost his focus. He started to pay more attention to what was happening around him than to trusting what God was doing in and through His people. The intense questions of why and how weighed more heavily on his perspective than the promise of God's deliverance and help. When we face trials that burden us to the core, we must maintain a vertical view of God, who is sovereignly in control, and a horizontal view of God's Word, which will always guide us in life. I have experienced the sorrow of unanswered fears that were wrapped in worry and packaged as prayer during different seasons of my life.

During certain seasons, when I wanted to understand how God would handle my finances, relationships, health, and other situations, no matter how often I prayed for answers, God would always guide me to a simple yet powerful response: "Trust Me." You see, faith and trust aren't based on what we see but on who we believe God to be in the midst of trouble and the promise of His presence with us through it all.

As Habakkuk and the Lord communicate in these three short yet powerful chapters, one biblical principle is reinforced: God is always in control. In moments when life feels chaotic, unstable, and unsettling, the Lord is working behind the scenes of the circumstances while also cultivating faith in our lives for His glory. One way to avoid discouragement and regain joy that has been stolen by a deceptive perspective of what God is doing is through journaling. The Lord told Habakkuk to write the vision down on a tablet, for the vision was for an appointed time. When you put pen to paper to document how God is working during the wait, this practice will help you track His faithfulness. Sometimes, we forget God's promises and how He has worked in the past, so it's essential to revisit and review them. All of Scripture is a journey of God's sovereign work throughout the centuries, demonstrating that He is truly the author and finisher of our faith.

Habakkuk ended this book with a heart set on rejoicing in the Lord, the joy of His salvation, and His strength. For a moment, he had released his faith in a quest to find answers, but after communing with the Lord, he reestablished his focus on trusting that God was guiding his steps like a shepherd, so he could continue to walk the Holy Path the Lord has called him to. The Lord is your strength and a very present help in times of trouble and fear. Trust Him.

Be encouraged.