“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” – Habakkuk 3:17-18
Hard Work & Faith
Ever since the ground was cursed by God in the Garden of Eden, man would have to eat in pain and by the sweat of his face. Seeds would need to be sown. Trees would need trimming. Plants would require pruning. Hard work is necessary, but in itself insufficient. Faith would have to be exercised. Human effort is no guarantee of a bountiful harvest.
Man must do what he is able, and then pray that God will bless his work. Only He can provide sufficient rainfall. Sunshine and temperatures are His departments. When the seeds are planted in the ground, they are planted with hope. When the plants are pruned they are done so with expectation. What is true in the realm of horticulture is equally true in the realm of livestock. Folds are made for the sheep. Stalls are made for the cattle. Not only must the livestock be protected, but they are nurtured from birth as well. A lot of toil goes into feeding them and keeping them healthy. Man must do what he is able, and then pray that God will bless his work. One predator can wreak havoc on the flock. One disease or catastrophe can eliminate the herd. Then what? What happens when expectations are not met? What happens when hopes are crushed? What becomes of faith?
“Though the fig tree should not blossom.”
Despite all of our hard work, we did not get the promotion. We looked to the fig tree for its sweet fruit. We ended up with a sour taste in our mouth. “Nor fruit be on the vines.” We nurtured and loved, but our child is not living for the faith. The fruit of the vine is supposed to bring gladness of heart, but our hearts are pierced by a wayward offspring. “The produce of the olive fails.” We did everything the doctor recommended, but the results came back positive. The millstone is ready but there is no oil to cook with or light the lamps. We hoped for an encouraging report. The doctor says it is terminal. “The fields yield no food.” We planted barley and wheat. We have a field of weeds. We look to the fields for subsistence, our eyes behold disappointment. Not only have we lost our health, we have lost our job. Where will the next meal come from? How will we make ends meet? “The flock may be cut off from the fold.” We prayed for a hedge of protection, but our spiritual leader fell. We looked to the sheep for wool, instead, the wool was pulled over our eyes. Who knew Satan could so quickly scatter the flock? “And there be no herd in the stalls.” We did everything we could to make the stalls. Despite our best efforts to protect, we have buried a child. Accidents can’t always be avoided. We don’t have a drug for every disease.
“Though the fig tree should not blossom”…our faith can!
“In the morning, as He was returning to the city, He became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, He went to it and found nothing but only leaves. And He said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they marveled saying, ‘How did the fig tree wither at once?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.'” – (Matthew 21:20-22)
What did Jesus do when He encountered a fig tree without fruit? Used it as an object lesson. He was hungry for its fruit. His disciples needed its seed. The cross was on the horizon. They were going to be separated from Jesus. Persecution was coming. They left everything to follow Jesus. What would they have after His death? A seed of faith. With a few simple words, Jesus withered a fig tree. With a few simple men, He would move mountains. With the help of a barren fig tree, faith would grow.
Fig Trees and Your Faith
“Though the fig tree shall not blossom.” With faith, barrenness can lead to growth. With faith, bad new can result in rejoicing. Amazing how different a barren fig tree looks when we have faith. You can take my job. You can take my health. You can even take my loved ones. But you can’t touch my faith. You can’t take my salvation. Our worldly expectations may not be fulfilled. But in Jesus, we will always have hope. A barren fig tree is no match for the Savior of our souls. Do not despair. Do not doubt. Have faith. Some day soon, all fig trees will blossom. For all of eternity. In heaven, expectations are exceeded. Enjoy the sweet fruit of your faith!
“In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” – Zechariah 3:10
“Though the fig tree shall not blossom..Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”