Habakkuk 3:17-19

I've been battling with some things lately and just wanted to share. Sometimes (ok, often) it is SO easy for us to get caught up in our struggles and worries and in the process to lose focus of God. These are the moments that hurt the most, and the pain of that struggle is intensified when we distance ourselves from God. In the midst of our problems we tend to zoom in on that and forget about everything else. It is in those moments, however, that it is so important to zoom back out, always looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

In those hard moments, we must acknowledge that God's strong hand will always hold us, even if it seems we have no strength to hold Him. When you stop to critique your faith, you lose focus on Christ. Faith is sustained by looking unto Christ, not by analyzing your faith.

Here's my rendition of Habakkuk 3:17-19, some beautiful verses that I strive to cling to:

Though the fig tree doesn't blossom, or no fruit grows on the vines,
Though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food,
Though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls,
Despite these--I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength;
He makes my feet swift like the deer's;
He makes me tread through high places.

It is in those most difficult moments of pain that we must realize that God is with us, He is on our side, carrying us through, and He knows exactly what He's doing. Additionally, these struggles will ultimately strengthen us, refine us, and help us to love God even more, bringing Him all the more glory.