Habakkuk 3:18 — I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
There’s nothing like when “Dada” comes home.
Most evenings, it’s just me and Lennox. The toys are scattered, dinner plates sit half-finished, and you can feel it… He’s getting tired of me. Not in a harsh way, just in a toddler kind of way.
My husband Chris works another evening job, and I’m grateful for it. I really am, but when that door unlocks at the end of the day and Lennox sees Chris, everything changes. His eyes light up. He shouts for joy, and just like that, he’s gone.
There’s no hesitation and no dragging his feet. His whole body is basically saying, “See ya Mom, I’m going to my dad.”
It’s not because anyone told him to, but because something deep inside my son knows— Dada’s arms are where I belong.
I believe we were made for that kind of response. It is God-given.
Somewhere along the way, though, we learn to hesitate. We get distracted. We carry disappointments, responsibilities, and burdens that weigh us down. Sometimes life doesn’t feel joyful at all.
And yet, the invitation hasn’t changed.
Habakkuk wrote those words during a season when everything around him seemed uncertain. Yet he made a choice: “I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.”
Not because life was easy, but because God was still good.
God is our Father, and He is near. What would it look like to turn towards Him with that same instinctive joy? To rejoice in the God of your salvation and to drop whatever you’re holding to let love—not obligation, fear, or routine—be the thing that moves you?
And maybe faith, at its core, isn’t as complicated as we’ve made it. Maybe it looks a lot like that small pair of feet hitting the floor, heart wide open, running toward the Father who just walked in the room.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- What tends to distract you from experiencing joy in God’s presence?
- When was the last time you felt excited to spend time with God?
- How does Lennox’s instinctive response to his father challenge your view of faith?
- Are there circumstances in your life right now that make rejoicing difficult?
- What would it look like today to turn toward God with trust, delight, and expectancy?