Righteous Shall Live by Faith

The prophet Habakkuk witnessed immorality, sin, violence, and lawlessness growing every day. The righteous were consumed by the unrighteous. He constantly prayed and cried out to God for a response, yet the situation did not change. Grieved in his heart, he decided, as usual, to cry out to God one more time. Then he received a response from God, but not the one he expected. God said that evil will come to an end, but in the meantime, the righteous live by faith. Habakkuk did not see the end of evil. Still, after hearing from God, he decided that he would keep on worshiping and serving God, regardless of his situation. That is what happens when you go into the presence of God, pour out your heart to Him, and wait in His presence. You may not get the answer you are expecting, but the very presence and voice of the Lord is enough to give you hope and to convince you that, no matter what happens, God is in control of everything, and He will not leave you alone.

We see and hear of many popular pastors and worship leaders backing away from their faith, citing God’s incomprehensible silence in the current situation and events of the world. This happens when you listen to the world’s voice (news, social media, personal feelings, and other worthless noise) more than the voice of God. On the surface, this seems reasonable. However, we are not to live by reason and by the facts we see. We are to live by faith. We pray that they may return to the Shepherd of their lives. Sometimes we feel alone, and we do not feel like praying or reading the Word of God. But we have to rise above our feelings to the truth of the Word of God.

It is easy to become intimidated as we watch God’s silence over the immorality and lawlessness growing in the world. As we look around us, we see the corrupt prospering day by day. Lawlessness grows every second. Almost every news story is about bad things happening in the world. We cry day and night for the kingdom of God to come on earth and for His will to be fulfilled in our lives and our nations. Still, we do not see answers to our prayers. It is easy to question our faith and God’s existence when we see all the events happening around us. However, God wants us to live by faith, trusting that everything is under His control and that His plans are far bigger than our understanding. He has a plan for each of us. The Holy Spirit dwells inside us and quickens us every day. Our job is to keep pursuing intimacy with Him and to serve Him with perseverance. This is the faith we need while on this earth, the faith that says, “Even though I do not receive what I was promised, I will still adore God.” God bless you!