I’ve been studying Habakkuk with my BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) class, and something that stood out was the ending of the book:
“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. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” – Habakkuk 3:17-19
I was quite amazed at Habakkuk’s commitment, and wondered how he could still have joy in God in terrible circumstances. What joy could he derive from it?
Then, I realized, that just because times are bad doesn’t mean God’s not working in and through it. Two ladies from my class happened to share stories that tie into this, so with their permissions, I’ve included them below.
The first lady, who I’ll call “A”, shared about how God has been working through the birth of her granddaughter. A’s daughter-in-law had some health problems and a couple of ectopic pregnancies which resulted in her fallopian tubes being removed. She and her husband subsequently decided to use IVF, and they’ve seen God provide for them financially as IVF is expensive.
After many attempts with IVF, their son was born in 2020, and after more of the same, their daughter was born last week! A’s daughter-in-law had to have a c-section (her first) and there were some concerns with the baby’s health, but it brought the family closer to God and strengthened their faith.
The second lady, who I’ll call “B”, shared a similar story of how God made everything come together during her IVF journey. It was quite stressful at first as she was also looking for a job at the same time. B was able to get a job that allowed her to work from home 80% of the time (which was unheard of in Hong Kong in 2013) and a boss who was also going through IVF and understood B’s routine (there’s a lot of drugs and needles you need to take at specific times prior to egg retrieval). That gave her a peace of mind and also helped to cover the expense of IVF.
There were also just the right number of viable embryos for a dual pregnancy, which allowed B to have twins. Nine months later, she had an emergency c-section and was at risk of hysterectomy due to uterine atony (uncontrollable bleeding in uterus), but the doctors were able to stop the bleeding and her uterus was saved. Her twins were also born without any health problems. This whole procedure strengthened her relationship with God, and to this day, it reminds her that He will always walk beside and provide for her.
These stories are a great example of why and how we should rejoice in the midst of tough circumstances. As long as we can remember what God has done and that He still works in our lives, there will always be something to rejoice about.