Live by Faith (8 of 12)
Series: Return and Seek: The Minor Prophets
Patrick Edwards
Habakkuk
Introduction
In this well-known scene from The Lord of the Rings, Frodo laments his situation, particularly the hardship and struggle that has befallen him as the ring-bearer. And it's only human, right? Particularly when life feels overwhelming, when sorrows like sea billows roll, we easily slip into hopelessness. That's why we lament our circumstances, because we think that this is all there is. If we really believed that there was light at the end of the tunnel, that victory and triumph were awaiting us, then while we could acknowledge the difficulty of our present circumstance, we would not despair. Rather we would, ''boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us,'' (Romans 5:3-5).
But we don't do this because we struggle to have hope when life is hard. We struggle to have hope for this world around us when we see the condition it is in. But this, friends, is the role of faith in the Christian life. Faith isn't merely believing something so that you don't go to Hell. ''Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,'' (Hebrews 11:1, ESV). Get that, faith is a supernatural confidence that what God has said He is going to do that He indeed will do, which is the message of the prophet Habakkuk.
Through a number of visions and prayers, God shows Habakkuk how He will continue to discipline Israel through foreign nations, but also how He will ultimately conquer evil and restore His people. Thus, Habakkuk calls us to live not by sight or emotion, but rather in hope of God's promises. The prophet teaches us that In light of the holiness of God and the wickedness of humanity, we must live by faith i ...
Series: Return and Seek: The Minor Prophets
Patrick Edwards
Habakkuk
Introduction
In this well-known scene from The Lord of the Rings, Frodo laments his situation, particularly the hardship and struggle that has befallen him as the ring-bearer. And it's only human, right? Particularly when life feels overwhelming, when sorrows like sea billows roll, we easily slip into hopelessness. That's why we lament our circumstances, because we think that this is all there is. If we really believed that there was light at the end of the tunnel, that victory and triumph were awaiting us, then while we could acknowledge the difficulty of our present circumstance, we would not despair. Rather we would, ''boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us,'' (Romans 5:3-5).
But we don't do this because we struggle to have hope when life is hard. We struggle to have hope for this world around us when we see the condition it is in. But this, friends, is the role of faith in the Christian life. Faith isn't merely believing something so that you don't go to Hell. ''Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,'' (Hebrews 11:1, ESV). Get that, faith is a supernatural confidence that what God has said He is going to do that He indeed will do, which is the message of the prophet Habakkuk.
Through a number of visions and prayers, God shows Habakkuk how He will continue to discipline Israel through foreign nations, but also how He will ultimately conquer evil and restore His people. Thus, Habakkuk calls us to live not by sight or emotion, but rather in hope of God's promises. The prophet teaches us that In light of the holiness of God and the wickedness of humanity, we must live by faith i ...
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