Rejoicing in the Ruins

​Rejoicing in the Ruins

By José Maldonado

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, … I will be joyful in God my Savior.”
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Life has a way of bringing us to moments of ugly desperation—times when nothing we do seems to work, when every door we try to open stays closed, and when it feels like the harder we try, the worse things get. Maybe it’s a broken relationship that seems irreparable, a health issue that continues to worsen, or a job situation that feels unbearable. Whatever it is, there are seasons in life where everything we know, everything we’ve learned, and everything we’ve relied upon fails us.

I think it’s in those moments when we run out of options, that the words of the prophet Habakkuk ring especially true. He paints a bleak picture: no fruit, no crops, no livestock—a complete loss of sustenance and stability. And yet, he declares, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18). How could Habakkuk say that?

Often, as we gain life experience and grow in faith, we start to believe that we can predict how things will turn out. We rely on our intelligence, our problem-solving abilities, or the advice of experts to navigate difficulties. And most of the time, those tools are helpful. But then come the moments when absolutely none of it works—when we realize we are completely out of answers. Others who are not going through our struggle will say to us that’s where true dependence on God begins. Likely, we don’t want to hear it though.

But, the reality is that when things fall apart, we find ourselves in the place where God’s refining work takes place. The process of being refined by fire is not poetic or romantic when you’re in the middle of it—it’s painful, exhausting, and often feels unbearable. But it is in this fire that God shapes us, strengthens us, and prepares us for what’s next.

The Apostle Peter talks about this fire refined faith in 1 Peter 1:6-7. This refining process leads us to a deeper, unshakable faith—a faith that can stand firm even when everything else crumbles. The challenge for us is that it is a painful refining process. The good thing about what the Apostle Peter tells us is learning that we are not the only ones who experience it.

Habakkuk didn’t rejoice because of his circumstances—he rejoiced in the Lord. His joy wasn’t tied to what was happening around him; it was rooted in who God is. This is such a powerful message for us to remember. We must remind ourselves over and over that God is faithful. God is good. God is Savior. Even when we can’t see how things will improve, we can choose to rejoice in the truth of who God is and trust Him to work all things for our good.

Let’s be careful that we do not confuse the message here though. I’m not talking about lying to ourselves. Rejoicing in the Lord isn’t about pretending everything is okay. It’s about shifting our focus from our circumstances to God’s character. It’s an intentional action on our part. It’s about declaring, “Even if nothing changes, even if things get worse, I will still praise You, Lord.”

Most of us don’t prepare for hardship until it’s already upon us. But what if we intentionally prepared our hearts now? What if we wrote ourselves a letter—a “Dear Me” letter—to remind us of what we know to be true when things are going well? This letter will make such a difference when everything feels like it’s falling apart. The more we read this letter in the good times, the more prepared we will be in the bad times. 

It might go something like this: “Dear Me, You’re going to face situations in life that you can’t fix. You’re going to feel like God isn’t listening and like evil is winning. When that happens, remember this: Rejoice in the Lord. Even when it hurts, even when you don’t understand, trust Him. Let Him bring about the best solution in His perfect timing. Be patient, pray, and wait on the Lord. He is faithful, and He will not fail you.”

Habakkuk’s declaration of faith challenges us to trust God even when life feels hopeless. It reminds us that joy isn’t about our circumstances—it’s about the Savior. When everything else fails, God remains. So when we face the fire, we choose to rejoice in the Lord. We let Him refine us, strengthen us, and lead us to the amazing, life-changing answers He has in store.

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior.” May that be the cry of our hearts, no matter what we face.