Living By Faith

Living By Faith

Habakkuk asked questions, received answers he would not have chosen, and then he is instructed to live by faith(Habakkuk 2:4). God's instruction to Habakkuk contrasts the way of the proud Babylonian king with the just that shall live by faith (or more literally- by his faith the just shall live). God continues to list for Habakkuk the sins of the Chaldeans. Drunkenness, pride, ill-gotten gain, inhumanity, murder, corruption of other nations, and idol worship. Sound familiar? Do we not face these in our world today? Do we find some of these in the smaller "worlds" we live in? Is there one struggling with addiction in your world? Is pride rearing its ugly head? Do you see injustice at your child's school or at your workplace? Is there an idol in your life that seems too large to overcome? The answer for us today remains the same- by faith the just shall live. That means we may not have all the answers we want or get them when we want them. It means regardless of the answer we will live by faith. We will know God and understand His sovereignty, our trust is in Him and we will wait for Him though it seems He tarries too long at times.

Recently I had a prayer answered regarding one of my children. I had initially expressed gratitude for this answer but then later caught myself wishing for more evidence of God's working in her life. My question was - "How much longer, Oh God?" As I repented of my short-lived gratitude and quickness to point out my lack of satisfaction for what He had done, I was reminded to wait and watch and walk by faith. This is not how to live until you have the answer you want. It is not the way to live only when facing the most urgent of circumstances but the way to live moment by moment, every day.

Habakkuk got this way of living by faith. By verse 17 of chapter 3 Habakkuk declares, "Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor the fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls- YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." (NKJV)

Again we learn that the most important thing is our relationship to God and who He is, regardless of our circumstances. After all his wrestling Habakkuk knew God more intimately, trusted God in a deeper way and learned to live by faith.

Today will you and I choose to know God, trust Him, submit to Him and make living by faith a way of life? -- Kathy Withers is on staff full-time at the Keswick Book and Gift Shop. She is married to her husband, Dave, and has two adult children. Kathy is active in her local church. Her passion is the Word of God and encouraging women to dig deeper into the truths of the Bible.