More than 2500 years ago, Habakkuk, a man of God, approached God in prayer.

He literally “cried out” to God. He pleaded with God to do something about the mess in the world around him. He wondered aloud if God would hear his prayer?

He spoke of violence, iniquity, wickedness, destruction, strife, and contention. He talked about the wicked overcoming the righteous and the fact that many ignored the laws of God (Habakkuk 1:2-4).

God responded to Habakkuk by saying that if he were told all that God was doing he wouldn’t believe it (Habakkuk 1:5). God was working among his people. God was still in charge.

God then tells Habakkuk that there is something he could do to help. The first thing was to clearly proclaim God’s message (Habakkuk 2:2). In addition, he was told that he should live his life by faith.

“Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) The point is that regardless of what others around you are doing, God’s people should decide to live by faith.

Now, 2500 years removed from the days of Habakkuk, people of God again find themselves in a world that has lost it’s way. The very words Habakkuk used to define his world, are words that define our world.

God’s people need the strength to live our lives by faith. When we gather as God’s people around his table we gain strength to live our lives by faith. We gain strength to live by faith when we encourage one another and pray with one another.

Dear God, help us in our fallen world to live our lives by faith. As we gather around the table, as your family may we gain strength from one another and from the feast that we share.

–by Jeff A. Jenkins