Even Though

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. Habakkuk 3:19

When I think about a graceful deer treading upon the heights, the one thing I don’t think about is, well, me. If I were to compare myself to a deer, it would be more like that scene from Bambi where the young buck finds himself trying to stand up on the ice, legs going every which way.

But the context of this verse is not about being graceful; it’s about rejoicing in the Lord even when circumstances don’t merit joy. Back up a couple of verses where Habakkuk writes a series of “even thoughs:”

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines;
Even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren;
Even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty,

“Yet,” Habakkuk writes,  “I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”

“Yet” is a game-changer. Yet takes your situation from “Woe is me” to “I can do all things through Christ.” “Yet” takes your eyes off the circumstances and puts them on the Creator of all things.

Let’s try this on for size: Even though ___(insert your troubles here)___. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord! (Did you notice the exclamation point at the end?)

Habakkuk concludes the whole matter with the words we started with today:

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.”

I’m not sure what the “even thoughs” are in your life, but I sure hope there is “yet.” Bottom line: When we choose to rejoice in the Lord, despite the circumstances, He makes us sure-footed as a deer.

I don’t know about you, but I am ready to get off the ice and start treading upon the heights.