“The just shall live by faith.” Those words were first spoken by the Old Testament prophet with the funny name (Habakkuk). Two New Testament writers considered the statement worth repeating: Paul (Romans 1:17; Gal. 3:11), and the Hebrew writer (Heb. 10:38). It is a fundamental principle of the Christian life that believers live by faith.
Habakkuk was having a hard time of it. Things were happening he didn’t understand. His book that appears in the Minor Prophets section of the Old Testament because of its brevity seems to be one big “why?” question. But as the late J. Vernon McGee observed concerning the book of Habakkuk, “It begins with a question mark and closes with an exclamation point.” The lesson learned amid all the questions is simply this, “The just shall live by faith.” Period!
The problem for most people is that they tend to live by feelings, not faith. That is a dangerous thing to do because feelings can be so volatile. Feelings can be easily affected by many things – circumstances, people, health, the weather, you name it! Faith, on the other hand, is based on the certainty of God’s Word which is forever established in heaven. The one is shifting sand. The other is solid rock.
Here is the rule to remember: Feelings follow faith, not the other way around. Faith is the root; feelings are the fruit. The question isn’t, “How do I feel about something.” The question must always be, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is where faith takes its stand.
If like Habakkuk you find yourself in a tough spot asking a lot of “why?” questions, remember the outcome of the prophet’s journey, “The just shall live by faith.” Live the life of faith. You may never have all the answers in this life. Just rest assured in faith that God does, and that He does all things well.
Pastor Todd Weston
Habakkuk was having a hard time of it. Things were happening he didn’t understand. His book that appears in the Minor Prophets section of the Old Testament because of its brevity seems to be one big “why?” question. But as the late J. Vernon McGee observed concerning the book of Habakkuk, “It begins with a question mark and closes with an exclamation point.” The lesson learned amid all the questions is simply this, “The just shall live by faith.” Period!
The problem for most people is that they tend to live by feelings, not faith. That is a dangerous thing to do because feelings can be so volatile. Feelings can be easily affected by many things – circumstances, people, health, the weather, you name it! Faith, on the other hand, is based on the certainty of God’s Word which is forever established in heaven. The one is shifting sand. The other is solid rock.
Here is the rule to remember: Feelings follow faith, not the other way around. Faith is the root; feelings are the fruit. The question isn’t, “How do I feel about something.” The question must always be, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is where faith takes its stand.
If like Habakkuk you find yourself in a tough spot asking a lot of “why?” questions, remember the outcome of the prophet’s journey, “The just shall live by faith.” Live the life of faith. You may never have all the answers in this life. Just rest assured in faith that God does, and that He does all things well.
Pastor Todd Weston
