Faith and God’s Promises

At the time Josiah began to rule, and for many years before, the truehearted in Judah were questioning whether God’s promises to ancient Israel could ever be fulfilled….

These anxious questionings were voiced by the prophet Habakkuk. Viewing the situation of the faithful in his day, he expressed the burden of his heart in the inquiry: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” … And then, his faith reaching out beyond the forbidding prospect of the immediate future, and laying fast hold on the precious promises that reveal God’s love for His trusting children, the prophet added, “We shall not die.” With this declaration of faith he rested his case, and that of every believing Israelite, in the hands of a compassionate God….

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.”
We must cherish and cultivate the faith of which prophets and apostles have testified—the faith that lays hold on the promises of God and waits for deliverance in His appointed time and way. The sure word of prophecy will meet its final fulfillment in the glorious advent of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as King of kings and Lord of lords…. With the prophet who endeavored to encourage Judah in a time of unparalleled apostasy, let us confidently declare, “The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” Let us ever hold in remembrance the cheering message, “The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come.
Conflict and Courage p. 242
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Prayer Requests
—–My best friend is having a c-section this morning. She tested positive for pre-eclampsia yesterday. Please pray that she and the baby will be fine. She has been on blood thinners. Esther
—–Please pray for Peggy who has stage IV cancer. Angie
—–Please pray for Emerie (age three) who is in danger of losing sight in her left eye. She was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome and the birthmark [which is inside and well as outside] pushing on her retina, causing detachment. Our medical team is recommending that Emerie receives 10 radiation treatments in an attempt to shrink the birthmark so she will not lose her vision. Please pray for God’s healing so she does not have to go through the radiation. Amy
—–Eileen goes to the doctor today for her back. Please pray that he listens to her and has a treatment plan for her to follow so that she can be pain free and able to do things again. Rose