Faith Matters: January 28, 2009

<I>Though the fig tree should not blossom, And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail, And the fields produce 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 the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18</I>

"A German philosopher many years ago said something to the effect that the more a man has in his own heart the less he will require from the outside; excessive need for support from without is proof of the bankruptcy of the inner man." From "The Great God Entertainment" an on-line article taken from the book "The Root of the Righteous" by A.W.Tozer, <0x00A9>1955, by Christian Publications.

Most people depend upon outward circumstances for their happiness and live their whole lives in pursuit of such happiness. The true Christian doesn't have to live that way. When Christ is at the center of a believer's life, he finds joy and contentment in Christ regardless of his circumstances.

Yet some Christians never experience the abundant life Jesus promised His followers. Sadly, many of them have given up the pursuit of this life for the shallow happiness they can find in the world. They become absorbed with temporal pleasures and worldly pursuits. Even their worship and church activities often become just another form of entertainment. The approval of others is substituted for the approval of God.

When Christians have the outlook of Habakkuk, they attract people to Jesus Christ who came that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).