The Sovereign Lord is My Strength

The Sovereign Lord is My Strength

Habakkuk 3:17-19
3:17 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,
3:18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
HAB 3:19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.

I am very happy to be with you this early morning. My name is Rev. Le Vinh Phuoc, from Vietnam, and I have stayed here in ACTS almost 5 years for my study, and now only a few weeks are left for me in Korea. I think this is the last morning worship for many of us. Many among you will be graduating this time and we will not see each other again. I will go home and don’t know when I will come back here again. So this is the good time to say good-bye right? But before to do it, I would like to use this sharing to encourage all of you to have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
The situation which Habakkuk faces is the invasion of the southern kingdom of Judah by the Chaldeans (who are also the Babylonians). This invasion eventually happened at the end of the sixth century BC, and Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.
The Lord revealed to Habakkuk beforehand that Judah was going to be punished for her sin by the Chaldeans. Unlike Joel and Zephaniah and Amos, Habakkuk does not even mention the possibility that can stop this destruction. He does not call for national repentance. It is too late.
Instead, he predicts the destruction of Judah, and beyond that the doom of the Babylonians themselves. And Habakkuk promises that the only way to preserve your life through the judgment is by faith.(The righteous shall live by faith in 2:4). So even though destruction is decreed for the nation, there is hope for individuals who hold fast their confidence in God.
Habakkuk can imagine what will happen to the country, to his people, to his ministry, and to his family. When the enemies come they will face great tribulation. And this is how Habakkuk can think of. There are three aspects: no peace, no food, and no life.
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,
The fig and the vine often symbolize peace and prosperity. Here the tree does bud means there will be no peace, but troubles, no more prosperity but starving. Grapes symbolize for abundant and happy life, but there are no grapes on the vines means, this is a curse, judgment has come.
Olive fruits stand for blessing from the Lord, but now, no more oil, no more blessing; and the fields or grains symbolize fertility and yet it produces no food.
Sheep is the important animal to Israel. Every day they go in and out with the sheep. There are no sheep in the pen. The Lord is my shepherd and we are the sheep. Now the sheep have been scattered everywhere, or they may have dead somewhere. The cattle in the stalls symbolizes for the prosperity, for religious blessing. For day in and day out, they offer animal to the Lord, now there are none in the stalls.
The point of Habakkuk here is, if the worst case comes, no more food, no more oil, no more protection, no more worship, no more peace, no money, no cars, no more houses, no more schools, no more professors, no more students, no more friend, no more ministry, he still holds on to the Lord with his faith. Habakkuk may express in this way.
If God rejected and made me sufferings that much, I still rejoice in Him. If things happen that much, I will never give up the relationship between you and I, Lord. Moreover, I will be joyful because I believe you are my God, and the Savior.” He will save me no matter what happen. The Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and he enables me to go on the heights. To Habakkuk, everything seems completely lost, but one thing remains. That is his faith on God.
Today, many tribulations have come upon the world. Problems came not only as external disasters but as internal humanity problems as well. Problems are in society, problems even in churches and seminaries. Satan, our enemies night and day attacks us. How should you and I face this great tribulation? I have learnt this lesson through the journey of theological training in the past 10 years. I remember almost 10 years ago, I was just like you sitting in the class as beginners. However, my study was not good, I faced so many difficulties, no money, no food, no friends, and I asked God why he brought me to Seminary for such terrible things. But The Lord is my strength. He helped me to go through all that troubles. When I came to Korea too, so many times I wanted to give up my study. So many problems have come my life here. But you know that, these verses save me. These verses have encouraged me to move on. Sometimes in the midst of troubles, tears come without stop, I still hold on these verses, no matter what will happen, Lord, you are my strength.
My dear co workers in Christ, this is the message that I want to encourage you today. Life in seminary is not easy, and so much more is the ministry’s life. Nothing in this life is matter most but faith. Are you ready to say to the Lord that, no matter what will happen to my life, to my people, to my family, and to my ministry, Lord, I will still rejoice in you. Lord, you are my strength and my Savior. May the Lord bless you and me and keep all of us to be faithful to him from now and forever. Amen.