“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Habakkuk 3:18 (NIV)

For years when others would ask my favorite verse of scripture or phrase the question asking, “Do you have a life verse?” I would share how I had many different verses that I was fond of and used as “go to” verses of hope and encouragement. For instance, I would “go to” 1 Corinthians 15:58 when I need to be encouraged to press through difficult times in ministry. Hebrews 12:1-2 would slip from my lips as a chant when I needed to remember to fix my eyes on Jesus, and Psalm 121:1-2 were my scriptures of choice when my heart longed for help beyond any a friend or loved one could offer. Never did I image that I could narrow the selection to one verse—and yet I have. And of all places to find that verse, it is tucked in the Old Testament, in a little, three-chapter book, Habakkuk.

The prophet Habakkuk still stumps me as I try and fail to spell his name (side note—I even tried to put it in a catchy song like we did as children when we wanted to spell Mississippi. If you found yourself just saying M-I-crooked letter-crooked letter, you know what I mean). I digress. In my opinion, the book of Habakkuk is riveting, and just as it is about to close, we come to the scripture I cling to in this world of ups and downs.

In the final chapter the prophet, Habakkuk, unfolds words that may seem odd to us today, saying, “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.” (3:17) I mean, you likely aren’t reading this and then heading out to tend to a crop of trees or fields of sheep. But you don’t have to be to understand that times were barren and difficult. I have felt this way before. Have you? You survey everything and everything seems bare and bleak. There was a time that all the difficult things of this world would deplete me and bring me down because my joy was planted shallow. My joy wasn’t rooted in God, My Savior, rather it was dependent upon my circumstances.

Four words now come to my heart and mind anytime I am struggling. Yet. I. Will. Rejoice.

It does not matter if I am sorrowful over the great loss of a child or the great state of unrest that currently seems to plague our nation. Habakkuk 3:18 is a heart commitment. My commitment to rejoice in the Lord. When everything else seems bleak, I cling to His promises and await a new season, trusting in Him and Him alone. A commitment to rejoice regardless of my circumstances as I remember the greatest gift I have been given, salvation.

There are many “go to” verses in my heart. One for contentment, one for times of doubt, and even a few that remind me how to “dress” my heart. I will treasure finding many others in His word as I read each day, verse by verse, and perhaps even discovering a few as others tell me theirs. After years of not having just one answer to my favorite verse, I can now say Habakkuk 3:18 is mine. If you claim it as yours also, well, I am happy to share as we commit together to rejoice in Lord.