Worship Is My WeaponSample

Habakkuk 3:17-18 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, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

If you were in a fight, what would be your weapon of choice? Undoubtedly, worship might not be your first option. Singing is not a great self-defense tactic, nor is playing an instrument. Nevertheless, worship is a weapon. And worship is also a choice.

At first glance it might seem like the writer in this Bible passage has nothing of material to her name—no fig trees, no grape vines, no olives, no sheep, and no cattle. But read it again, and you will see that he does have fig trees—just no figs. She does have grape vines—just no grapes. She does have olive crops; they just haven’t produced any olives. She does have a sheep pen—just no sheep—as well as a stall, but no cattle. Read in this context you meet a person who has tried and fell short . . . again. This is more than poverty; this is the deepest level of disappointment.

This is a life of great investment and expectation. This person planted the seeds, built the pen, invested the money, and due to no fault of his or her own has experienced tremendous failure. 

Maybe you can relate? 

The relationship fell apart, and you could do nothing to prevent it. 

The economy crashed, and you could not slow it down. 

You worked hard for the degree, but you still got laid off. 

You brought the kids to church every Sunday, but they still made poor decisions. 

You’ve failed, and you did not choose to; in fact you had no choice in the matter, and that’s what hurts the most—the powerlessness.

But we must continue reading. “Yet . . .” the author says. And what a great transition that is! “Yet I will rejoice . . . I will be joyful in God my savior.” Oh what refreshing truth! Said another way, “I still have a choice.”

Although you might not have had a choice in what happened to you, you can choose how you respond to what happened to you. And here is your choice: worship! Worship is my weapon of choice! Because when I feel stripped of the power to shape my life, I discover the greatest power in my life: worship. Worship is not just my weapon of choice; worship is a weapon that finds its power IN choice. Reclaim that power today. Choose to worship.

- Pastor JJ Vasquez, Journey Church Orlando