Habakuk 3:17-19

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.

The Soveriegn Lord is my Strength; He makes my feet like the feet of deer, He enables me to go on the heights."  - Habakuk 3:17-19

God will give His followers surefooted confidence through difficult times. They will run like deer accross rough and dangerous terrain.

At the proper time.

God will bring about His justice and completely rid the world of evil.

In the mean time, God's people need to live in the Strenght of His Spirit, confident in His ultimate victory over evil.

Psalm 27:1

"The Lord is my Light and my Salvation - whom shall i fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall i be afraid ?" - Psalm 27:1

Fear is a dark shadow that envelops us within ourselves. Each of us has been a prisoner of fear at one time or another---fear of rejection, misunderstanding, uncertanty, sickness, or even death.

But we conquer fear by using the bright liberating light of the Lord who brings Salvation. if we want to dispel the darness of fear, let us remember with the plsalmist that the 'Lord is my light and Salvation'.

Jeremiah 17:8

"But blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."  - Jeremiah 17:8

Those who trust in the Lord, flourish like trees planted by water, will have abundant strength, not only for their own needs, but even for the needs of others.

Like a well watered tree, have strength for the time of crisis and even some to share as you bear fruit for the Lord.

Jeremiah 17:5,6

"This is what the Lord says: 'Cursed is the one who trust in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes.

He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.'"  - Jeremiah 17:5 - 6

The people of Judah were trusting in false gods and military alliances instead of God. and thus they were barren and unfruitful. 

In times of trouble, those who trust in human beings will be impoverished and spiritually weak, so they will have no strength to draw on.

Jeremiah 17:9,10

"The heart is decietful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it ?  I, the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."  - Jeremiah 17:9,10

God makes it clear why we sin--it's a matter of the heart.

Our hearts have been inclined toward sin from the time we were born . It is easy to fall into the routine of forgetting and forsaking God.

But we can still choose whether or not to continue in sin. We can yeild to specific temptation, or we can ask God to help us resist temptation when it comes.

Jeremiah 7:2 - 3

"Stand at the gate of the Lord's house and there proclaim this message; "Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place."

 -  Jeremiah 7:2 - 3

The people followed a worship ritual but maintained a sinful life-style. It was religion without personal commitment to God.

We can easily do the same. Attending church, taking communion, teaching church shool, singing in the choir--all are empty exercises unless we are truly doing them for God.

It is good to do these activities, not because we ought to do them for the church, but because we want to them for God.

James 3:17

"The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy" - James 3:17

Have you ever known anyone who claimed to be wise but who acted foolishly ? True wisdom can be measured by the depth of a person's character.

Just as you can identify the tree by the type of fruit it produces, you can evaluate your wisdom by the way you act.

Foolishness leads to disorder, but wisdom leads to peace and goodness. Are you tempted to escalate the conflict, pass on the gossip, or fan the cord of discord ?

Careful, winsome speech and wise, loving words are the seeds of peace. God loves peacemakers.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will see God." - Matthew 5:9