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“The just shall live by faith,” the scriptures say,

Through trials and tribulations, we find our way,

For God is the same, yesterday, tomorrow and today,

The path of the just keeps shining brighter every day.

“The just shall live by faith,” we declare,

Our souls ignited, fueled by prayer,

Even in the darkest times, when life seems unfair,

God is always with us no need to despair.

For faith is not just words we say,

But a steadfast belief in a brighter day,

Our earnest cries in God’s hands, we lay,

Loving God and everybody till our hair turns grey.

The just shall live by faith; we’ll proclaim,

And find salvation in His Holy name,

A tight relationship with God, our highest aim,

Not riches, honor, good life and fame.

Hebrews 10:38 (KJV) – “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

The original Greek word for the word ‘Just’ is Dikaioj. According to the Strong Greek Concordance, dikaioj means righteous, observing divine laws, upright and virtuous. This word refers to those whose way of thinking, feeling and acting wholly conforms to the will of God.

The original Greek word for the word ‘Faith’ is Pistij. According to the Strong Greek Concordance, pistij refers to a strong, unwavering conviction that God exists and is the Creator of all things.

Therefore, if we combine these two words, we can conclude that Hebrews 10:38 means one wholly conformed to God’s will shall live by his firm conviction that God exists and is the Creator. Therefore, if such a person has that conviction, he will not worry and will not have anxiety because he depends on God, who is the provider since God is the Creator of everything.

Deuteronomy 8:1-3 (KJV) –  “¹All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers. ² And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no. ³ And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.”

We are all sustained by God’s Word, whether we are aware of it or not. Unfortunately, we tend to think that our jobs, skills, talents and connections are responsible for our sustenance. Some have sunk into depression because they were expecting to get a job once they acquired a particular certification or attained a new skill and haven’t been able to get one.

There are extreme cases where some have gone to the extent of committing suicide. Acts 17:28 (KJV) – “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.” It is through God’s Word that we come to life, and it is His Word that sustains life. Eating healthy, exercising, career, skills, and connections have their place, but it is God’s Word that sustains us.

God had to take the Israelites through the wilderness experience for them to understand that. There was no food in the wilderness, and there were no other communities they could trade with. They had to depend on the daily manna that fell from heaven. God took them through this lesson to make them know that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Deuteronomy 8:16 (KJV) – “Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;”

God was going to make the Israelites prosperous in the end. He was going to take them to the Promised Land, a land filled with milk and honey. Before He took them there, He had to take them through a special school in the wilderness to teach them necessary lessons that would be useful to them in the wilderness and the Promised Land.

In the wilderness, the Israelites were required to have faith. This faith was essential for them in future times of prosperity as it was in times of adversity. Somebody told me that when she got her job that is when her spiritual life started declining. She said she would rarely go to church.

The Lord God might be taking you through a wilderness experience to ensure that your faith is firmly grounded. He takes you through certain circumstances to ensure that you will stick to Him and be constantly aware that you depend on Him alone. Only a few Israelites made it to the Promised Land. The school of faith is sometimes tough to graduate because it requires a firm belief in the invisible.

Matthew 4:3-4 (KJV) – “³ And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. ⁴ But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

The Devil knows human beings trust visible things more than invisible things. He knows we are more inclined to material things than spiritual things. Therefore, he cunningly uses that knowledge to deceive us into temptation and rob us of our destinies.

Satan may give you a job that pays a good amount of money but is not within your purpose to make you not work on your God-given purpose. He does this to bribe you because he knows that if you work on your purpose, you are going to be great, and you are going to uplift God’s name. His work is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), and he is a master in robbing and destroying people’s destinies.

Pastor Randy Skeete narrated how hard it was for him to leave his counseling job and start preaching, but he still managed to do it. His sermons have inspired millions around the world. He would not have achieved that feat if he was still at his job.

The Devil knew that Jesus was hungry, and so he came to Him immediately after He had finished fasting. Typically, when you fast or when you embark on a heavy spiritual activity such as ministering on a revival week, the Devil brings trials towards the end of that activity or immediately after you have finished doing it. He may bring temptations. He may even bring sickness.

The Devil knew the greatest need of Jesus at that time was to get some food. Most times, when people end their fast, the first thing they look for is food to satisfy their hunger. Therefore, when the Devil tempted Jesus, his first temptation leveraged Jesus’ immediate need.

There were stones in the place where Jesus was. When the tempter said, “Command that these stones be made bread (Matthew 4:3).” Satan deliberately pointed to those stones so that Jesus could look at them. He did the same thing to Eve. He was at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, disguising himself in the body of the most beautiful and cleverest animal at that time which was the serpent.

The Bible says in Genesis 3:6 (KJV) – “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

The fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil first appealed to Eve’s sense of sight, causing her to fall into temptation. The Devil tries to appeal to various senses in a human being to make his tricks effective. Not only did he appeal to Eve’s sense of sight, but he also appealed to her through his conspiratorial words.

Proverbs 7:16-21 (KJV) – “¹⁶ I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. ¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. ¹⁸ Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. ¹⁹ For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: ²⁰ He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. ²¹ With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.”

The woman described in this context appeals to the man’s sense of sight (decked her bed with coverings of tapestry, carved works and fine linen). She appeals to his sense of smell (she perfumed her bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon) and his sense of hearing through the words she tells him. The Bible says in Proverbs 7:22 (KJV) – “He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;” Sin is usually packaged most attractively, but its wages are death (Romans 6:23).

Satan succeeded when tempting Eve because Eve trusted in what she saw (the fruit) more than in what she didn’t see (God’s Word/commandment not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). Therefore, when Satan went to Jesus, he used the same strategy. He didn’t tell Jesus to make bread appear from nowhere.

The Devil pointed to the stones that were near Christ. He thought that if he could make Christ look at them while cleverly using words that attacked Christ’s ego, he would make Him fall. He did not succeed because Jesus’ reliance on God’s Word was more potent than on material things. Jesus trusted in God’s Word (the invisible) more than he trusted in bread.

Therefore, Jesus answered the Devil by quoting a Bible verse which says, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” He understood that it was the Word of God which created bread. He chose to live by faith, not by sight.

The just shall live by faith.

Let us consider a few Biblical examples of righteous men who lived by faith:

Isaac

Genesis 26:1-3 (KJV) – “¹ And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. ² And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: ³ Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father.”

Genesis 26:12-14 (KJV) – “¹² Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. ¹³ And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: ¹⁴ For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.”

God commanded Isaac to stay in the land of the Philistines. Isaac wanted to go to Egypt to find greener pastures because where he was, the famine was severe. God commanded him not to go to Egypt but sojourn in that land. He promised Isaac that if he obeyed Him, He would bless him and his seed too. Isaac heed God’s voice and dwelt in that land. In the same year, when everybody in that place encountered famine, God blessed Isaac that he received a hundredfold of what he sowed. He made him have possession of flocks and herds and a great store of servants.

By obeying God, Isaac portrayed faith. He lived by faith because his dependence was not on the rain or what the ground could offer but on what God could offer. He understood that it is God who created rain, it is God who created soil, and He can make fertile a place aggravated by famine.

Worry should not be in the vocabulary of a Christian. When God commands you to go somewhere, hasten. Do not be frightened by the insecurity of that place or any other negative factor which you have heard of. Do not worry because God has sent you on a mission to a site goaded by drought. Have faith and believe you are in the hands of the Creator and provider of everything.

Believe that when you are on God’s side, no one or nothing can be against you, for He is your ultimate protector, your shield and defender. The COVID-19 pandemic caused many to lose their jobs. However, many received financial breakthroughs and financial freedom in that period.

Isaac received incredible blessings when he was in the midst of a land that had famine. This shower of blessings upon his life made the Philistines to be afraid of him and to know that he indeed serves a mighty God. His blessings served as a testimony to the unbelievers. God intends your testimony to pull more people to Him. That is why He wants you to live by faith.

Elijah

1 Kings 17:2-6 (KJV) – “² And the Word of the Lord came unto him, saying, ³ Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. ⁴ And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. ⁵ So he went and did according unto the Word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. ⁶ And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.”

“Among the mountains of Gilead, east of the Jordan, there dwelt in the days of Ahab a man of faith and prayer whose fearless ministry was destined to check the rapid spread of apostasy in Israel. Far removed from any city of renown, and occupying no high station in life, Elijah the Tishbite nevertheless entered upon his mission confident in God’s purpose to prepare the way before him and to give him abundant success. The word of faith and power was upon his lips, and his whole life was devoted to the work of reform. His was the voice of one crying in the wilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil. And while he came to the people as a reprover of sin, his message offered the balm of Gilead to the sin-sick souls of all who desired to be healed.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 119.1, Ellen G. White.

There was a drought in the land of Israel because God had cursed it during King Ahab’s time due to idol worship. However, Elijah was a servant of God. He was faithful to God amidst the significant opposition he faced since the majority of the people in the place where he was worshipped idols.

God punished the entire nation and blocked the rains from pouring on the land. He gave them this punishment out of love so that they may change their ways and return to Him. God did not allow His servant Elijah to suffer. Therefore, He commanded the ravens to feed him during that trying period. A perfect example of the just living by faith.

1 Kings 17:7-9 (KJV) – “⁷ And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. ⁸ And the Word of the LORD came unto him, saying, ⁹ Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.”

“In this poverty-stricken home the famine pressed sore, and the pitifully meager fare seemed about to fail. The coming of Elijah on the very day when the widow feared that she must give up the struggle to sustain life tested to the utmost her faith in the power of the living God to provide for her necessities. But even in her dire extremity she bore witness to her faith by a compliance with the request of the stranger who was asking her to share her last morsel with him.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 130.1, Ellen G. White.

When the brook dried up, most of us would think that the drying up of the brook was the end of Elijah. We would believe that God has run out of options because we usually assume that earthly circumstances limit God. God is not limited to worldly situations. He goes above and beyond those situations.

The Creator waited for the brook to dry up entirely so that He could provide Elijah with another option out of his endless options. He would have sent Elijah to a wealthy person, but He did not do that. Instead, He sent him to a widow with only one meal left.

When God decides to bless you, He may not use the person you are expecting as a channel for that blessing. He may end up using someone whom you did not even imagine. Therefore, it is essential to respect everyone. Those who you think you might not benefit from are the ones who might be holding your most desired blessings. The widow had only one meal left for her and her son.

God used Elijah to multiply that meal, so it never ran out. God did a mighty miracle that Elijah, the widow and her son were blessed. If the widow did not obey God’s voice and acted by faith by giving Elijah that meal, she would have probably eaten that one meal with her son and died because there was nothing else left. Her righteous action resulted in her never running out of food to eat. The just shall live by faith.

Joseph

Genesis 39:2-4 (KJV) – “² And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. ³ And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. ⁴ And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.”

“Arriving in Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, captain of the king’s guard, in whose service he remained for ten years. He was here exposed to temptations of no ordinary character. He was in the midst of idolatry. The worship of false gods was surrounded by all the pomp of royalty, supported by the wealth and culture of the most highly civilized nation then in existence. Yet Joseph preserved his simplicity and his fidelity to God. The sights and sounds of vice were all about him, but he was as one who saw and heard not. His thoughts were not permitted to linger upon forbidden subjects. The desire to gain the favor of the Egyptians could not cause him to conceal his principles. Had he attempted to do this, he would have been overcome by temptation; but he was not ashamed of the religion of his fathers, and he made no effort to hide the fact that he was a worshiper of Jehovah.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 214.2, Ellen G. White.

Joseph was a righteous young man before God, but God allowed his brothers to send him as an enslaved person to Egypt. God is omnipotent. Therefore, He had the power to block that event from happening, but he did not do that. He allowed them to throw him into a pit and also allowed them to sell him to Egypt as an enslaved person.

If we had faced the situation that Joseph, many of us would curse God and probably leave Him. We would reckon how we have been faithful in returning tithe, serving in the church and diligently spreading the gospel. We would question why God has allowed such to happen to us despite us being faithful in his service. We would think evil has won over good because of that one situation. Such worries would becloud our minds but not Joseph’s.

When taken to Egypt, Joseph remained faithful to God. He was devoted to the extent that his pagan master saw God was with him. As a slave, one has fewer rights, but the Bible records that Joseph found grace in the sight of his master and was made overseer over Potiphar’s house. In other words, he got more rights than he intended to. The just shall live by faith.

Genesis 39:21-23 (KJV) – “²¹ But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. ²² And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. ²³ The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.”

Joseph was imprisoned because of a false accusation that Potiphar’s wife made against him. However, he was faithful to God even behind the prison walls. He did not give up on God, and God did not give up on him. God gave Joseph favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison and made him commit everything to Joseph’s hands.

While in prison, Joseph did not stop working on his purpose. He used his gift diligently by interpreting the dreams of the prisoners. God was with him and caused everything he did to prosper while still in that prison. Later, he was taken to Pharaoh to interpret a dream that nobody in Egypt could interpret.

Pharaoh marvelled at Joseph’s gift that he gave him the highest position in the land in that only Pharaoh was more elevated than him. He gave him the position of Prime Minister. It was peculiar for Joseph to get that position because he was a foreigner, at the same time, enslaved. The just shall live by faith.

Daniel

Daniel 1:8-9 (KJV) – “⁸ But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. ⁹ Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.”

Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not partake of the King’s meat. Nebuchadnezzar was not a democratic king who would allow people to easily have their way of doing things.

The Bible says in Daniel 5:19 (KJV) – “And for the majesty that He gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.”

Nebuchadnezzar killed whoever he wanted, and nobody could question him. Daniel knew this but chose death rather than disobeying God’s commands. God gave him favour with the prince of the eunuchs, and he allowed Daniel to eat whatever he wanted. The just shall live by faith.

Daniel 6:21-22 (KJV) – “²¹ Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever. ²² My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.”

“God did not prevent Daniel’s enemies from casting him into the lions’ den; He permitted evil angels and wicked men thus far to accomplish their purpose; but it was that He might make the deliverance of His servant more marked, and the defeat of the enemies of truth and righteousness more complete…. Through the courage of this one man who chose to follow right rather than policy, Satan was to be defeated, and the name of God was to be exalted and honored.” – Conflict and Courage, Page 255.4, Ellen G. White.

Lions scare us. They don’t scare God. God created lions. Therefore, He has the ability to control them, and He has the power to destroy them. Daniel chose to fear the Creator and not the creature. It did not frighten him when a decree was passed that whoever worshipped another God besides the king would be thrown into a den of lions. He continued praying to the almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, King Darius and the Lions. He was thrown to the lion’s den, but the lions did not harm him. However, after he left the lion’s den, his enemies were thrown in, and the lions devoured them. The just shall live by faith.

Martha

John 11:21-22 (KJV) – “²¹ Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. ²² But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”

“Had Christ been in the sickroom, Lazarus would not have died; for Satan would have had no power over him. Death could not have aimed his dart at Lazarus in the presence of the Life-giver. Therefore, Christ remained away. He suffered the enemy to exercise his power, that He might drive him back, a conquered foe. He permitted Lazarus to pass under the dominion of death; and the suffering sisters saw their brother laid in the grave. Christ knew that as they looked on the dead face of their brother their faith in their Redeemer would be severely tried. But He knew that because of the struggle through which they were now passing their faith would shine forth with far greater power. He suffered every pang of sorrow that they endured. He loved them no less because He tarried; but He knew that for them, for Lazarus, for Himself, and for His disciples, a victory was to be gained.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 528.2, Ellen G. White.

Martha and her sister Mary were friends with Jesus. They had earlier called for Jesus to heal their brother Lazarus, but Jesus seemed to ‘delay’ as He was busy ministering to other people. Sometimes we get angry at God and lose hope when we see Him blessing others when we have been faithful to Him, and He seems to have forgotten us. Martha had profound faith in God. She truly believed that God is life and all life flows from Him.

Therefore, she told Jesus that Lazarus would not have died if He had been there. She added by saying that she knows all hope is not lost and whatsoever Jesus would ask of God; God will give it to Him. This level of belief is relatively uncommon among us Christians.

We often think that because we have reached the end of the road, God has also reached the end. Many believe it is God’s will for Christians to suffer and be subjected to all kinds of doom while living in this world. Martha saw possibilities amid impossibility. Jesus heard her cry and raised Lazarus from the dead. The just shall live by faith.

Lazarus

Luke 11:41-44 (KJV) – “⁴¹ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. ⁴² And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. ⁴³ And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. ⁴⁴ And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”

“Among the most steadfast of Christ’s disciples was Lazarus of Bethany. From their first meeting his faith in Christ had been strong; his love for Him was deep, and he was greatly beloved by the Saviour. It was for Lazarus that the greatest of Christ’s miracles was performed. The Saviour blessed all who sought His help; He loves all the human family, but to some He is bound by peculiarly tender associations. His heart was knit by a strong bond of affection to the family at Bethany, and for one of them His most wonderful work was wrought.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 524.1, Ellen G. White.

2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) – “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.” The Lord neither hastens nor delays. His time is always right. He did not minister to Lazarus when he was sick. He ministered to him when he died, after days passed by, and his body had begun to rot.

The Bible says that Jesus loved Lazarus and his family, too (John 11:5). Lazarus’ family was quite familiar with Jesus because they had spent a reasonable amount of time with Him, welcoming Him to their home. We may wonder why God seems blind and deaf to us while we are always praying and worshipping Him. God is not blind nor deaf to us. He listens to our most resounding cries, and the pain we feel pains Him more than it pains us.

Lazarus was faithful to God before he died. His hope was not lost in death because Jesus rose him from the dead. God has victory over death. The just shall live by faith. If they live by faith, they will not be scared by anything, including death, because God has conquered death. Psalm 23:4 (KJV) – “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.”

Tabitha

Acts 9:36-40 (KJV) – “³⁶ Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. ³⁷ And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. ³⁸ And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. ³⁹ Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. ⁴⁰ But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.”

“In Joppa there was a Dorcas, whose skillful fingers were more active than her tongue. She knew who needed comfortable clothing and who needed sympathy, and she freely ministered to the wants of both classes. And when Dorcas died, the church in Joppa realized their loss. It is no wonder that they mourned and lamented, nor that warm teardrops fell upon the inanimate clay. She was of so great value that by the power of God she was brought back from the land of the enemy, that her skill and energy might still be a blessing to others.” – Welfare Ministry, Page 142.1, Ellen G. White.

Tabitha showed diligence through her service to the people. She was full of good deeds, always offering alms. She was not aware of the blessings God had in store for her. She did whatever she did out of love for God and people. Illness caught her, and she died. Her death would have formed a perfect narrative for Satan and his agents to go around preaching how good people end up in failure.

The people whom Tabitha ministered to wept for her because of the kind deeds she did for them. Peter came and prayed and, through the power of God, rose her from the dead. It was a great miracle and a blessing to Tabitha and the people. It was an unexpected blessing. The just shall live by faith.

Jehoshaphat

2 Chronicles 20:12 (KJV) – “O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”

“Jehoshaphat was a man of courage and valor. For years he had been strengthening his armies and his fortified cities. He was well prepared to meet almost any foe; yet in this crisis he put not his trust in the arm of flesh. Not by disciplined armies and fenced cities, but by a living faith in the God of Israel, could he hope to gain the victory over these heathen who boasted of their power to humble Judah in the eyes of the nations.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 198.4, Ellen G. White.

“With confidence Jehoshaphat could say to the Lord, “Our eyes are upon thee.” For years he had taught the people to trust in the One who in past ages had so often interposed to save His chosen ones from utter destruction; and now, when the kingdom was in peril, Jehoshaphat did not stand alone; “all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.” Verse 13. Unitedly they fasted and prayed; unitedly they besought the Lord to put their enemies to confusion, that the name of Jehovah might be glorified.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 200.1, Ellen G. White.

Jehoshaphat knew they were few because three mighty armies were coming against them. He knew that their military capacity was inadequate to counter those three armies. He considered not the weakness they had when compared to these three armies. His focus was on the almighty God, the possessor of all power. He took his weakness to God and before God acknowledged their limitations when he said, “We have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”

In the midst of confusion, weakness and trials, we realize how powerless we are and how highly dependent we are on God. God, through his servant, commanded them to form a choir. When the armies of Moab, Amon and Mount Seir came to battle them, they met a choir singing praises to God. The music from the choir was so powerful that they ended up killing themselves out of confusion. The just shall live by faith.

In one of his sermons, Pastor Mark Finley preached about certain Seventh-Day Adventist university students in Brazil who were denied permission to sit for exams on another day since their exams were set on Sabbath. The students held firmly to their beliefs. They met up with a certain Seventh-Day Adventist tycoon and told them of their ordeal. The man decided to buy the whole university to change that one rule. As a result, the students were allowed to have their exams on a weekday.

In His book, When God Says Remember, Pastor Mark talks about other students who were denied the chance to sit for exams on another day besides the Sabbath. Exams were done on Sabbath without the few students who chose to put God’s Word above the professors’ word. Later that day, when the professor went home from school, he met robbers who stole his briefcase. The briefcase carried the students’ exam papers. It was too late to set other exams and have the students sit for another one. Therefore, the school ruled that they would use the results of the students’ previous assessments as the final results. The just shall live by faith.

“The faith that strengthened Habakkuk and all the holy and the just in those days of deep trial was the same faith that sustains God’s people today. In the darkest hours, under circumstances the most forbidding, the Christian believer may keep his soul stayed upon the source of all light and power. Day by day, through faith in God, his hope and courage may be renewed. “The just shall live by his faith.” – Conflict and Courage, Page 242, Ellen G. White.

Hebrews 10:38 (KJV) – “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,
In gratitude for the wisdom found in Your Word, we come before You with humble hearts. As we reflect on the truth that “the just shall live by faith,” may we be strengthened in our trust and reliance on You.

Grant us the courage to walk in faith, even when the path is unclear, knowing that Your promises are steadfast. May our lives be a testament to Your grace, and may we find peace in living justly through the unwavering foundation of faith.
In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.

Activity

List situations where you have seen God’s hand in your life. Thank God for them.

Author: Mark Alex   

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