Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places (Hab. 3:17-19).
Do you realize what this passage is saying? It is telling us that no matter how desperate the situation may seem, we are to rejoice in the Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). Why? Why should we rejoice when everything seems to be going against us; when there seems no reason at all for joy? The answer is found in the next verse: “…The Lord is at hand” (v. 5).
Despite the circumstances of life, our God has not left us nor forsaken us. He is right there with us, and in us. We have within us the presence and power of Almighty God Himself. Adversity is not the time to surrender; it’s the time to draw upon those forces of life within us. It is precisely for moments like this that they were put there!
If we will draw upon those spiritual forces of God within us, the anointing of David will come upon us. David was a man after God’s own heart. Do you know why? Because he would shake adversity with a song. That’s what the psalms are, praises to God – forces of joy.
Many times when David was surrounded by his enemies and everything looked totally hopeless, he would lift up his hands and praise God: “…the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps. 27:1). The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation” (Ps. 118:14).
In the midst of adversity, David just kept on praising and worshipping God and rejoicing. And God never let him down.
Let the force of joy rise up on the inside of you and give some thrust to your faith. The anointing of the psalmist will come upon you – the anointing of the warrior. God will see you through just as He did David.
In Old Testament days, when God’s people came under great attack of the adversary, God did not instruct the king of Israel to assemble his mightiest fighting men, his most skilled warriors. No, He said that He Himself would fight their battles for them. Rather, He ordered that the singers and praisers be sent out in advance of the army. God knew the power of praise.
So should you. When you face adversity, count it all JOY. Then give expression to that joy. You cannot be defeated when the force of joy is being released in your life.
Excerpt permission granted by Jerry Savelle Ministries International
Dr. Jerry Savelle was an average, blue-collar man who was struggling and needed God's help. While he considered himself a "nobody," when he became a believer God told him not to worry about it because He was a master at making champions out of nobodies. God has since taken Dr. Savelle from being a constant quitter to a man who knows how to stand on the Word of God until victory is experienced. Because of the life-changing combination of God's faithfulness and Dr. Savelle's "no quit" attitude, his life is totally different than it was thirty-eight years ago.
Since 1969, Dr. Savelle traveled the world teaching people how to win in life. Dr. Savelle ministered in more than three thousand churches and in twenty-six nations, and has overseas offices in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
God used Dr. Savelle to impact people who are burned out on religion and who have backslidden in their walk with God, as well as Christians who have a need to hear the Word of God presented in terms applicable to their lives, dreams, and destinies. He hosted the Jerry Savelle Ministries television broadcast which airs in two hundred countries worldwide.
Dr. Savelle authored more than forty books, including his bestsellers, If Satan Can't Steal Your Joy, He Can't Keep Your Goods and You're Somebody Special to God. He served as one of the founding Pastors of Heritage of Faith Christian Center in Crowley, Texas.
Jerry J. Savelle, 77, went home to be with the Lord on April 15, 2024. He spent his last day on earth fulfilling his purpose teaching people the Word of God