Cartwheels of Joy
Though the cherry trees don't blossom and the strawberries don't ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I'm singing joyful praise to God. I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 - MSG
From time to time in every Believer’s life things look very dim. The clouds of despair arrive unannounced, and life itself seems to exist in a drab gray. Yes, there are days when life feels stripped bare. But as Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Habakkuk experienced these moments and he named it plainly—no figs, no grapes, no olives, no crops, no sheep, no cattle. In his world, that meant everything was gone. No income. No food. No stability. No visible sign that tomorrow would be any better than today. It is the Bible’s way of saying, “When every earthly support collapses and nothing looks hopeful.”
And yet, right in the middle of that bleak landscape, the prophet makes a declaration that shakes the darkness: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” Not because anything improved. Not because the pain disappeared. Not because the circumstances changed. But because God had not changed.
This is the heart of what I like to call “no matter what” faith. It’s the quiet, steady resolve that says: Even if everything around me falls apart, I still have a reason to sing, because I still have Him. It’s when I choose to lift my voice in praise. It’s because of who He is that I can sing. It’s because I have sought out His heart, not His hand.
Joyful praise is not denial. It is not pretending the loss doesn’t hurt. It is not forcing a smile when your heart feels heavy. Joyful praise is the soul’s way of reaching for the One who remains when everything else is shaken. It is choosing to anchor your heart in the unchanging presence of God rather than the unpredictable conditions of life. “In the presence of God there is fullness of joy” is something every true Follower of Jesus must remember when darkness arrives. This is when we choose to rest in the God who sees, who holds, who carries, who strengthens, who never abandons His own.
And that is why praise becomes strength. Because praise is not about circumstances. Praise is about Presence. When you lift your heart to God—right in the middle of the emptiness—you are stepping into the nearness of the One who cannot be taken from you.
So today, even if the landscape of your life feels barren… Even if you’re standing in a place that looks nothing like what you hoped for… Even if you’re carrying questions you can’t yet answer… You can still whisper the same declaration: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”
Not because everything is good. But because God is good. And His goodness is enough to steady you, strengthen you, and fill your heart with a joy that defies the moment you’re in. And this rejoicing can take many forms. Sometimes joy looks like a lifted hand and sometimes—right in the middle of the hardest places—it feels like cartwheels of praise rising from a heart that knows: God is here. God is faithful. God is my strength… no matter what. So, no matter what, always remember His goodness and rejoice in Him.
Prayer
Lord, You see every place in my life that feels empty, uncertain, or stripped bare. You know the fears I don’t say out loud and the questions I don’t know how to answer. Today, I choose—by Your grace—to say, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” Be my strength when I feel weak, my song when I feel silent, and my joy when nothing around me seems joyful. Anchor my heart in Your unchanging goodness and teach me to find my praise in Your presence, not in my circumstances.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
For Continued Reflection
If this devotional has spoken to your heart and you’d like to go deeper in your walk with the Lord, consider exploring more of our resources designed to help you rest in His presence and renew your mind in His truth. Devotional Booklets for Your Journey With Him are available to gently guide you, one step at a time, into a closer, quieter, and more confident trust in the Lord’s faithful care. You can find them here.
