Turbulent times ahead...

"The just shall live by faith" [Romans 1:17]

When the prophet Habakkuk wrote “The just shall live by faith”, I wonder, did he have any idea how much trials and tribulations, sin and sorrow, anxiety and anguish that successive generations of humanity would experience?

Difficult circumstances have a way of clarifying our vision, of heightening our sensitivity, to what is true, and what is good. Today, I meditated on this verse in church, as I grappled inwardly with the sense of despair that enveloped me, in light of recent events in Timor-Leste. I was both ministered to, and challenged.

I was ministered to, because I imagined all the saints of old, who lived through great trials and tribulations, through the rise and fall of kingdoms, through wars, riots, strife, and stonings. I thought of each generation of believers, declaring in the midst of pain and sorrow, “The just shall live by faith.”

At the same time, I was challenged to lay hold of reality. No one said it would be easy. There is no guarantee that the hard times will pass. Habakkuk did not offer cheap comfort and empty words. He merely described the hallmark of the believer – he shall live by faith, never mind what the circumstances may be.

I thought too of the apostle Paul, who quoted from Habakkuk in the opening chapter of the Book of Romans. He too must have been gripped by the profound truth that was encapsulated in that one verse. And surely, here was a man who had truly, truly suffered for the sake of the gospel.

Sometimes, the meaning of something is best seen when you study its contrast. Some virtues are fairly abstract. What is bravery? Well, what is cowardice? Paul contrasted living by faith, with living by sight. The comparison is an unnerving one because we often do not rise above our sensory perceptions. What we see and hear affects us deeply. We are sometimes weighed down by what we perceive as reality – one more round of violence will happen here, all the progress of the past two years will be wiped out, more blood will be spilled, houses burnt, families broken up…

But there is a spiritual reality. God’s sovereignty, and His grace, is reality. So the just shall live by faith…