Faith lesson from Habakkuk.

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

There is another prophet I will like us to learn faith lesson from, he is the prophet Habakkuk. The book of this minor prophet began this way:

“The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!” Habakkuk 1:1,2.

Habakkuk was burdened with what he was seeing around him and he began to complain. Sometimes that is the way we are with God, we get so burdened with the cares of life and injustices we see around us and we feel God is

not concerned. But thank God Habbakuk did not stop there, neither should you. A child of God needs to understand that that there is always more than meets the eye. Look at what Paul did when He found himself in a place where it seems all hope was lost:

“And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.” Acts 27:21 -23

Paul moved away from hopelessness and sought God’s face because faith believes in hope against hope. This was exactly what Habakkuk did later:

“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” 

Habakkuk 2:1-4

Habakkuk moved away from complaining to seek God’s face and the result of that? This is where we see the first appearance of this phrase, “the just shall live by faith”.  Habakkuk was complaining because he did not understand what was happening but when he stopped complaining and waited on God, this profound word came to him among others, “the just shall live by his faith”. Friend, YOUWILL LIVE VICTORIOUSLY BY YOUR FAITH ALONE.