Habakkuk 3:17-18
“ 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, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Lord.”

What matters? What happens if all the material things of the world disappear from your life? Loved ones are taken? What happens if everything around you goes to pot and isn’t there? What happens if you’re the last man/woman standing in your world and everything else is gone? Do you hate God for taking it away? Do you hate God for the pain? Do you hate God for the loss?

Or do you praise God for who He is, for what He provided, for what He offers us in eternity?

When bread goes bad, do we blame the baker?

There are times when we lose stuff. Sometimes we lose a lot. Do we blame God for that? Probably. Did we give Him praise when he blessed us with what we just lost? Probably not.

In good times and bad, we are God’s children. Like a good parent He will give and take to ensure we grow up properly. No good parent says yes to every demand of a child. Sometimes that hurts. A lot. It doesn’t make any sense – to us.

Sometimes the bread goes bad and we have to toss it. But man does not live by bread alone.

Good times and bad times make up this world. Things of this world wear out, rust and mold. They break and can be taken away. They aren’t permanent.

Anchor yourself in what matters, in the things of the Lord, in His love, in the joy and freedom He offers. Those, like eternity, are permanent.