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May 13, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n When the Fig Tree Doesn\u2019t Bloom<\/strong><\/span> Lee en espa\u00f1ol<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThough the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines \u2026 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength \u2026\u201d Habakkuk 3:17-19 (ESV)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Editor\u2019s Note:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Today\u2019s devotion writer, Radhika, grew up in the remote mountains of Nepal, where her family became the first Christians in their district and planted a church despite intense persecution. Watching faith rise stronger under pressure shaped her calling. Today she serves with Partners International, connecting believers to indigenous leaders advancing the gospel in some of the hardest places on earth.<\/em><\/p>\n My grandmother became an orphan as a little girl, losing both parents in the same month. Years later, at 21, she was widowed with three small children.<\/p>\n That was when everything unraveled. The community she and her children called home turned against them. Their land and belongings were taken. Even the few photographs they had were destroyed. One day, the entire community came to force my grandmother from her home. In the chaos, she urged my mother, who was barely 2, to run with her 3-month-old baby brother.<\/p>\n My mother wasn\u2019t sure she would ever see her mother again.<\/p>\n But my grandmother survived.<\/p>\n Life didn\u2019t become easier. She worked long days in other people\u2019s fields to bring home small portions of food. There was no safety net. No protection.<\/p>\n When my mom tells this story, she doesn\u2019t speak with anger. She tells it like it was simply life \u2014 just survival. She says she doesn\u2019t remember her father, so she doesn\u2019t know what she missed.<\/p>\n What amazes me most is this: Neither she nor my grandmother became bitter.<\/p>\n They became tender.<\/p>\n Instead of hardening in pain, they grew compassionate. Watching them has taught me something I\u2019m still learning: Suffering can harden our hearts, or it can soften them toward the grace of God.<\/strong><\/p>\n I haven\u2019t endured trials like theirs. But I\u2019ve known seasons when things fell apart. Prayers whispered with confidence seemed to echo back unanswered. Plans quietly unraveled. I\u2019ve felt helpless watching someone I love struggle.<\/p>\n Maybe you\u2019ve had your own version of that.<\/p>\n The prophet Habakkuk in Scripture described a time when everything was failing in Israel \u2014 no crops, no animals, no visible provision. No fig trees were blooming.<\/p>\n And yet he said: \u201cThough the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines \u2026 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength \u2026\u201d<\/em> (Habakkuk 3:17-19).<\/p>\n I will rejoice.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Not because life was suddenly good. That\u2019s the part I\u2019m still learning.<\/p>\n Joy isn\u2019t pretending everything is fine. It\u2019s choosing to believe God is near when everything feels uncertain. It\u2019s whispering, You are my strength<\/em>, when I feel like I don\u2019t have any strength left. It\u2019s sitting quietly in His presence when I don\u2019t have answers.<\/p>\n There are days when my own \u201cfig tree\u201d doesn\u2019t bloom \u2014 when something I counted on falls through or the future feels unclear. In those moments, I can let disappointment harden me, or I can let it press me closer to the One who never moves.<\/p>\n God doesn\u2019t promise us steady ground, but He does promise steady footing. He steadies us in places where we never thought we could stand.<\/p>\n With this kind of joy, we don’t ignore sorrow \u2014 we carry it into the hands of a faithful God.<\/p>\n And somehow, even in the waiting, that is enough.<\/p>\n Dear heavenly Father, teach me to rest at Your feet and rejoice in Your presence, whether in joy or sorrow. Remind me that Your joy is my strength to face every trial and darkness. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n I encourage you to join a seven-day prayer journey that connects you with courageous believers on the frontlines of God’s global mission. You won\u2019t just hear stories; you\u2019ll become part of their mission through bold, informed prayer. Join the movement now at wearepartners.org\/prayer-movement\/.<\/p>\n Find out more about the work of Partners International on their Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube channel.<\/p>\n 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, \u201cRejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God\u2019s will for you in Christ Jesus\u201d (NIV).<\/p>\n If you look back on a season when your \u201cfig tree\u201d didn\u2019t bloom, where can you now see God\u2019s steady presence?<\/p>\n What is one small way you can practice rejoicing today \u2014 not because everything is perfect but because God is near? Share with us in the comments!<\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 by Partners International. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n Proverbs 31 Ministries
RADHIKA WITH PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL <\/span><\/p>\n
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