Rejoice in the Lord
We can face trouble with a heart of cheer and find joy in the midst of difficulty by rejoicing in the Lord and trusting in His goodness.
Charles E. Cowman preaches about maintaining faith and joy in God even in the midst of extreme calamity and distress, drawing inspiration from Habakkuk 3:17-18. He emphasizes the importance of turning to God in times of trouble, maintaining a composed spirit, and finding joy and hope in Him despite the challenges. The sermon highlights the heroic faith and unwavering love displayed by the speaker in the face of adversity, encouraging listeners to adopt a similar attitude of trust and confidence in God.
Text
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor 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" (Hab. 3:17, 18).
Observe, I entreat you, how calamitous a circumstance is here supposed, and how heroic a faith is expressed. It is really as if he said, "Though I should be reduced to so great extremity as not to know where to find my necessary food, though I should look around about me on an empty house and a desolate field, and see the marks of the Divine scourge where I had once seen the fruits of God's bounty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord."
Methinks these words are worthy of being written as with a diamond on a rock forever. Oh, that by Divine grace they might be deeply engraven on each of our hearts! Concise as the form of speaking in the text is, it evidently implies or expresses the following particulars: That in the day of his distress he would fly to God; that he would maintain a holy composure of spirit under this dark dispensation, nay, that in the midst of all he would indulge in a sacred joy in God, and a cheerful expectation from Him. Heroic confidence! Illustrious faith! Unconquerable love!--Doddridge.
Last night I heard a robin singing in the rain,
And the raindrop's patter made a sweet refrain,
Making all the sweeter the music of the strain.
So, I thought, when trouble comes, as trouble will,
Why should I stop singing? Just beyond the hill
It may be that sunshine floods the green world still.
He who faces the trouble with a heart of cheer
Makes the burden lighter. If there falls a tear,
Sweeter is the cadence in the song we hear.
I have learned your lesson, bird with dappled wing,
Listening to your music with its lilt of spring
When the storm-cloud darkens, then's the TIME to sing.
--Eben E. Rexford
Sermon Outline
- The Heroic Faith of Habakkuk
- The Particulars of Habakkuk's Faith
- A Lesson from Nature
- Trouble Will Come, but We Should Not Stop Singing
- Facing Trouble with a Heart of Cheer Makes the Burden Lighter
- He Would Indulge in Sacred Joy in God
Key Quotes
“Though I should be reduced to so great extremity as not to know where to find my necessary food, though I should look around about me on an empty house and a desolate field, and see the marks of the Divine scourge where I had once seen the fruits of God's bounty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” — Charles E. Cowman
“He who faces the trouble with a heart of cheer makes the burden lighter.” — Charles E. Cowman
“When the storm-cloud darkens, then's the time to sing.” — Charles E. Cowman
Application Points
- We should not stop singing when trouble comes, but rather face it with a heart of cheer.
- Maintaining a holy composure of spirit helps us to make the burden of trouble lighter.
- We can find joy in the midst of difficulty by rejoicing in the Lord and trusting in His goodness.