Rejoice Anyway

These words from Habakkuk stopped me in my tracks the other day.

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

—Habakkuk 3:18

If you have a minute, you should really go read the whole chapter. It's a good one.

Habakkuk was a prophet during an incredibly difficult time for the people of God. He knew what it was to experience hardship. He experienced the brokenness of the world firsthand. He came face to face with sorrow and exile and still he chose to praise the Lord.

It reminds me of the song "Alive and Breathing." Have you heard it? It's such an encouragement for this time in history and reminds me that as long as I have breath in my body, I have a reason to praise the Lord. Though times are hard and nothing looks the way I thought it would during this season, I will rejoice. Though darkness lingers nearby, I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

Ultimately, it's one of the most powerful things we can do. As this virus continues to wreak havoc and steal life, choosing to rejoice anyway may not feel like much, but it matters, especially when it’s the last thing that we feel like doing. Worship, at its heart, is a declaration of faith, and it’s in the choosing that the Lord makes us strong.

So today, let's choose to rejoice. Let's take stock of our reasons to praise. And let’s worship him in word and deed and song and attitude. If you're alive and breathing, you have more than enough reason to praise the Lord. Let’s get to it.

🙌🏻 Leslie Ann⠀⠀