10月24日

標　　題：我要歡欣！

經　　節：雖然無花果樹不發旺，葡萄樹不結果，橄欖樹也不效力，田地不出糧食，圈中絕了羊，棚內也沒有牛；然而，我要因耶和華歡欣，因救我的神喜樂。（哈巴谷書三章17∼18節）

有時候，我們周圍每件事彷佛都成了泡影。你一切的努力可能都付諸東流。你所輔導的人可能令你十分失望。你所創建的生意或事業可能粉碎了。在這些困難的時刻應該要停下來，檢驗什麼對你是真正重要的。

哈巴谷曾經親眼看到自己所重視的東西都成了泡影。然而，經由這些損失、失敗和失望，他能夠分辨清楚什麼對他是最珍貴的，什麼對他是短暫無常與空虛的。他到了一個地步，能誠摯地說，即使失去身邊所有的東西，他仍能因神而喜樂。如果無花果樹不結果，如果葡萄樹不結葡萄，如果牛群羊群不繁殖，他仍然讚美神。當一切不照他所期待的發生時，要讚美神並不是那麼容易的。但是，他無論如何就是要讚美神。哈巴穀沒辦法使無花果樹發旺，長出無花果。他也沒辦法控制牛群羊群的繁殖，但是他可以控制自己對神的反應。他選擇讚美神。

你身邊的事是否都粉碎了？你仍然可以讚美神。你對祂的讚美並非決定於你努力所得的成就，而是讚美祂的本性、祂對你的愛與祂的信實。求神幫助你輕看屬世的顧慮，瞭解自己為何要讚美神的原因。

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.