"Then the Lord answered me and said: 'Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith" (Hab 2:2-4).
You and I must walk by faith because it will be rewarded, says God.
We don’t see everything immediately how we desire it, but believing God, we wait (Hab 2:2-4). He says, "The just shall live by faith", and this isn’t momentary; it is the life and walk of true believers. God has made promises, we take them as true, and then we walk in the light of the gospel, obeying the word, waiting until our reward comes, believing things are and shall be as He says.
The grace of God isn’t easy street. There are difficulties, trials, and many woes (Hab 1:-2:1). Habakkuk said, “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 shall 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 judgments proceeds”, and, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he”, and again, “I will stand my watch and set myself on the fortress, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected” (vs2, 4, 13-14, 2:1). God has promised us eternal life and promised that we are justified by faith, so we walk in this knowledge, cleaving to God’s word above else. We may FEEL forsaken, feel like sin is winning, and think our labor is vain, but this life will be rewarded. The righteous will be forever exalted and the wicked forever punished, but we wait. We wait until heaven when pain will be gone, and we wait continually, and in hope.
We are not walking by human wisdom, taking matters into our own hands, or living our way, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent” (1 Cor 1:18-19). We walk with the Invisible God by faith, taking what He says as true, and living by it, following it carefully, amidst the warfare of life.
Don’t think faith is an easy life, but believe it will be as He has said (2:4). He says, “Behold the proud [those who tell God, “No, I won’t obey You”], his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith”. The Lord Jesus died for all who believe that He did, and He has saved all who trust His salvation. You have every blessing for Christ’s sake. The Spirit will help you, the Father will be faithful to you, and in the end, all tears will be gone. He promises assuredly, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4). Believe, and live by what you believe, until you SEE your faith, in face to Face contact with Christ, become a reality. Believe God.
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