What is the worst thing that could happen? Famine; when there is no food, and you did not stock up, you did not hoard cans of soup. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord! Now that is a Christian response. That is what Christians do in the midst of trouble, in the midst of darkness. In the face of forces that are beyond our control, about which we can do absolutely nothing, I will rejoice in the Lord! I will remind myself that I am his child. I will remind myself that my sins are forgiven. What is the worst-case scenario? That I died. Yes, and we go to heaven! We die and we go to heaven. We die and we see Jesus! We die and we get some of our questions answered. That is the worst-case scenario. I will rejoice in the Lord! Why? Because God is in control, that is why. Because God is sovereign…there are no surprises to God. He knows what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month. I will rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice! That is a command, people. You do not wait for it to come. It is a command. Be joyful! Count your blessings. Name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done in your life.1
Derek W. H. Thomas
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,