Faith in All Seasons – Part 2

The transient perspective is that the Lord is with us (the “born-again Believer), the Lord is in control and with the Lord beside us, we (the children of God) shall overcome the world. The eternal perspective is that when this life is completed, the Christian spends eternity with the Lord in the kingdom of Heaven. If we put our trust in God, then whatever spiritual season that we are going through, whatever circumstance or situation we find ourselves in, God is with us.  In Habakkuk 1:1-4, we hear the burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.“O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore, the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore, perverse judgment proceeds.” Does that not sound like the culture in which we live in today?  

In Ecclesiastes 1:2-5, “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it arose.” There is very little that ever happens or changes; we mainly go through routine cycles. The book of Habakkuk is one-on-one conversations between the prophet and God. How often do you have one-on-one conversations with your heavenly Father? 

 

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Cast all of your cares, worries, hopes, fears, and dreams to God because He loves us and cares about us. Are our prayers simply transmissions to God or are they a two-way conversation where we take the time to listen also to receive what the Lord wants to tell us. What all the chaos and violence in the land, we can be confused and upset at the injustice and rebellious opposition to God’s right reign and rule, asking “Why?” The wicked should not prosper or inflect pain and suffering on the innocent. “Where is God in this?”.  God answers the prophet in Habakkuk 1:5 “Look among the nations and watch—Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told You.” But, God’s work was to raise up a foreign nation against His God-rejecting, idolatress, sinful people who sin against their soul. God told the prophet to tell the people: The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you, and utter shame will be on your glory. But the just shall live by faith. Could our country be admonished by God today?

 

Romans 1:17b “The just shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:11b “the just shall live by faith.” Hebrews 10:38a“the just shall live by faith.” Though the people of God plan and pray for their future, but God has a plan for our life and may have a better answer to our prayers. The Lord has been preparing us throughout our entire lives for the purposes that He intended for us. He knows what He is bringing us forward to. Faithfulness is defined as: Fidelity; loyalty; firm adherence to allegiance and duty; as the faithfulness of a subject to their Lord. Faithfulness to God means trusting God in very season that we are in. The righteous shall live by faith and the righteous shall truly live. This happens by trusting God for who He is, and trusting our all-knowing, all-seeing Creator for His plan for He knows the end from the beginning and doesn’t make mistakes. 

 

Be steadfast in your faith, in season and out. Do not take on the God-rejecting world system’s thinking or quiesce to the secular humanist’s godless cultural view of society. No God, no peace / Know God, know peace with true love and joy included. In God We Trust.

 

In Christ Brian