17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3: 17, 18 (KJV)
There was a popular nursery rhyme when I was little about Old Mother Hubbard. I often felt sorry for this fictitious woman who went to the cupboard to get her poor dog a bone. For when she got there, the cupboard was bare, and the little poor dog got none. As an adult, I have certainly had my lean times when there just wasn’t enough to feed my family, and during those times, Mrs. Hubbard’s plight came to my mind.
This passage is telling us that even if our cupboards are bare, even if there is no fruit on the vines and we have come upon hard times, we can be like the prophet Habakkuk. He chose to still have joy in his life. To still have hope. To keep pressing forward and have a positive attitude, no matter what.
Focus on areas where there seems to be no fruit in your vine, and still determine to smile.