“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet 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 like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places.”
~ Habakkuk 3:17–19
Habakkuk lived during a time of national crisis. Crops failed, livestock disappeared, and resources were scarce. From a human perspective, there was nothing to celebrate. Yet Habakkuk lifts his eyes above the lack and declares: “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD.”
Notice the contrast:
Everything external failed. No figs, no grapes, no olives, no grain, no sheep, no cattle. Every physical marker of prosperity collapsed.
But inwardly he chose joy. “I will rejoice… I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk’s joy wasn’t rooted in circumstances but in God’s unchanging salvation.
Then he declares the secret to thriving: “God, the Lord, is my strength.” Not food, not harvest, not wealth, but God Himself. And what does God’s strength do?
“He makes my feet like the deer’s.” Agile, steady, able to climb and stand securely in rough terrain.
“He makes me tread on my high places.” Even in hardship, God lifts His people to places of victory, perspective, and strength.
Applied to biblical health, this passage is a lifeline for us in troubled times. We may see shortages, rising costs, or personal sickness. We may feel lack pressing in. But Habakkuk shows us: our thriving is not dependent on earthly abundance. It is rooted in God’s salvation, God’s strength, and God’s joy.
Joy, in fact, is medicine (Proverbs 17:22). Choosing to rejoice in the Lord strengthens our spirit, calms our body, and lifts our perspective. It’s not denial of hardship. It’s defiance of despair.
So even if the world looks barren, you can still thrive. Why? Because your joy is not in what the world gives—it’s in the God who never fails.
Prayer: Lord, even when the harvest fails and resources feel scarce, I will rejoice in You. Be my strength, steady my steps, and lift me to higher ground. Teach me to thrive not because of what I have, but because of Who You are…the God of my salvation. Amen.
