“I heard, and my inward parts trembled; At the sound my lips tingled. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no produce on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields yield no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength, And He has set my feet like hinds’ feet And makes me tread on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.” Habakkuk 3:16-19 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/hab.3.16-19.LSB

Many today are fearful. These days are not good economically. The righteous are not in power, but those who oppose God and detest His ways. The new year brings new leaders who ignore God and His commands. They want a new world that does not recognize the Christian values of life, marriage, identity, or freedom as defined by worshipping God as we understand Him from His word. We wait for our invaders to invade us. How should we wait? In fear? No, says Habakkuk by his example. Though our barns grow empty and our work fails to produce to meet our needs yet, we shall praise the Lord. We shall sing of His strength. The Lord has overcome the world through His death to rise again to prepare a new world where He will reign supreme. The world soon to come where God reigns in Person will know neither death, fear, sorrow, pain, weeping, nor any injustice of any kind, for God will live with us, and we shall see Him face to face. Though men kill the body, the Lord raises it from the dead and gives us a new body that will never die. The immediate future may be bleak, but the eternal future is brighter than the sun, for it is with the Son Who loves us and is Lord over all.