Your Daily Crossroad
Three-Lettered Faith
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:18)
Habakkuk had great cause for despair after having seen the coming troubles for God’s people; long and arduous years lay ahead. Things really did look dismal: no fruit, no meat, and no creature comforts. His words lure me into a pessimistic bed of hopelessness until he jars me awake again with a small three-letter word: yet. “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord” (Habakkuk 3:18). Despite all the hardships he anticipated, Habakkuk found cause for rejoicing simply because of who God is.
While we might be prone to exaggerate our problems, Habakkuk truly faced some extreme hardships. If he could summon praise for God in those moments, perhaps we can too. When we’re bogged down in the depths of despair, we can look to God who lifts us up.
Lord, You are the reason for all my joy. Help me to fix my eyes on You when my circumstances are painful and hard. Amen.
When I read this I was encouraged, encouraged and reminded despite what I’m going through He is able, YET, I will rejoice in the Lord. No matter what your facing today, remind yourself of this Three Lettered Faith, Yet. As I was studying and reading scripture I was reminded of this setting of scripture and David also used the word yet and although I’ve heard this setting of scripture over and over in my walk with Christ that word didn’t stand out to me like it does now, I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
(Psalm 37:25). I challenge you today to look at your circumstances and proclaim the yet in your faith towards God. Yet, I will rejoice, Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Amen! Find the beauty in today.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Habakkuk 3:17–19
We Won’t Break
As a native Californian and lover of all things sunny, I shy away from all things cold. I do, however, enjoy beautiful photos of snow. So I couldn’t help but smile when my friend from Illinois shared a winter picture of a sapling outside her window. Admiration turned to sadness when I noticed its bare, knotted branches bowing under the heavy fringe of sparkling icicles.
How long could those bending boughs endure before breaking under their icy burdens? The heaviness threatening to crack the tree’s limbs reminded me of my shoulders, hunched beneath the weight of worries.
After Jesus affirms that the greatest treasures are not earthly or temporary, He encourages us to release our anxious thoughts. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe loves and provides for His children, so we don’t have to waste our precious time worrying. God knows our needs and will care for us (Matthew 6:19–32).
He also knows we’ll be tempted to succumb to worry. He tells us to come to Him first, trust His presence and provision in the present, and live by faith one day at a time (vv. 33–34).
In this life, we’ll face overwhelming troubles and uncertainties that can make our shoulders droop. We may temporarily bend under the weight of worrying. But when we trust God, we won’t break.
Thanks for assuring us that we never have to worry, Lord, because You never fail to meet our deepest needs. Amen.
I was so uplifted and encouraged by this devotion today. I was reminded of this setting of scripture in Ephesians 6:11, Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The Lord has given us instruction and guidance in His word to overcome worry and fear. It’s up to us to reach out, grab it and apply it to our lives every single day. Remember, live by faith one day at time, worry won’t break us when we trust the Giver of all good things. Let your faith be bigger than your fears.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Matthew 6:25-34
Growing Gratitude
Would you like to cultivate a greater sense of gratitude? George Herbert, a seventeenth-century British poet, encourages readers toward that goal in his poem “Gratefulness”: “Thou that hast given so much to me, give one thing more: a grateful heart.”
Herbert recognized the only thing he needed in order to be thankful was simply an awareness of the blessings God had already given him.
The Bible declares Christ Jesus as the source of all blessing in Romans 11:36, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.” “All things” encompasses both the extravagant and the mundane, everyday gifts in our lives. Everything we receive in life comes directly from our heavenly Father (James 1:17), and He willingly gives us those gifts out of His love for us.
Take a few minutes to thank God for what comes to your mind right now. Try to do that throughout the day as well.
What a beautiful devotion! Let us do as today’s devotion encourages, let’s take time today to acknowledge the source of all our joys that we experience each and every day, especially the ones we take for granted. This devotion inspires me to see joys in today that I must admit I’ve taken for granted. For instance, I awoke to the alarm going off, why is that a joy one might ask, because I was able to hear the alarm, open my eyes and embrace another day to look after my beautiful family, I have purpose in today. It may seem silly to point out all the sources of joy in your life today but I guarantee the joy’s in your life will far outweigh whatever it is your dealing with and will give you the strength to overcome the lies and whispers of the enemy. You are blessed, You are loved by God. Now, let’s do as today’s devotion encourages, Take a few minutes to thank God for what comes to your mind right now. Try to do that throughout the day as well.
Make today beautiful!
Be a Doer of the Word
God knows our needs and hears our words. God opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:16). He knows our wants before they are even formed on our tongue. He is faithful in all things and will not let the righteous beg for bread. So why are we so discontent? Why do we complain to each other? Why don’t we pray more and trust Him more?
There is a consistent theme in the lives of the Israelites that left Egypt. They complained. Over and over, they saw ?the miracles? of the Lord to provide for them and protect them. They were witnesses of His ever constant presence and received daily manna from heaven. But it wasn’t enough. They wanted more and bigger and better and newer. They even complained that they wanted what they had when they were slaves. How quickly they forgot. It was because of their oppression in Egypt that God intervened to save them from slavery. God answered their prayer in unbelievable ways, but it wasn’t enough. And over and over, they were punished for this behavior but they didn’t change. Why?
I see patterns like this in my own life too. The Lord will reveal to me a message in the morning like “be thankful today” or “be quiet today.” For some reason though, I remember His message after I disobeyed. I have frequently asked the Lord how the Holy Spirit was able to impress upon me my sin immediately after I did it instead of helping me before. The answer is always the same…my lack of self control. We speak without thinking, complain to whoever will listen, and become forgetful in the busyness of the day. I have learned, slowly but surely, to write down those things He told me in the morning on a 3×5 card. I then place the card in my pocket or on my dash board to help me to remember. The responsibility isn’t all on the Lord. We need to be active in our faith and fight for victory. Let’s stop being hearers and complainers and become doers of the Word. Join me in entering the promised land of God’s rest and peace today, for we have a God who parts Red Seas and pours water from rocks.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is 1 John 3:18