Increase My Faith

by Missy Milbourn

This Week's Verse: Habakkuk 2:4, “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked; but the righteous will live by their faith.”

Devotion:
Increase my faith, Father. I want the faith of Habakkuk who even in having the knowledge of the impending destruction that his people were going to face, he was able to say, “You know what Lord? Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me as sure footed as a deer, and bring me safely over the mountains.”

That kind of faith doesn’t come from just knowing about God. That kind of faith comes from knowing God, knowing His character, knowing His nature, knowing that God is love. Having a relationship with Him where you speak one on one. I believe the reason why Habakkuk could have that kind of faith was because he knew and trusted his heavenly Father. He knew that in all of the “destruction” that ultimately what God was doing was calling his people back, turning their hearts back to Him, saving them.

I believe that’s what we see Habakkuk recalling in chapter 3:8 when he says “Was it in anger, Lord, that you struck the rivers and parted the sea? Were you displeased with them? NO, you were sending your chariots of salvation.”

I don’t know what kind of “destruction” you’re currently living through, but I know that there’s a God who loves you. I know that there’s a God who is calling you into a deeper relationship with Himself. And I believe with all my heart, that as you trust in Him, as you surrender to Him, that He, as Habakkuk said, “will make you a sure footed as a deer, and bring you safely over the mountains.”

Father, help me to believe in you and to trust in you even when times get tough. Even when the “real life” picture isn’t how I might want it, help me to trust you to bring me safely over the mountain.

Application:
As we start a new year, now is a perfect time to commit to meeting with God daily, to get to know Him better, so that you too can know his character, know his nature, and know his love. One simple way to do that is by signing up for Tim Wood’s Daily Bible Reading. He will lead you on a guided journey through God’s word by sending you, via e-mail, daily Bible readings with commentaries. You can sign up for that by sending Tim an e-mail at twood@marshallfcc.org

Power Verses:
Romans 1:17, “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “it is through faith that a righteous person has life.”(NLT)
Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”(NIV)
John 14:6, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (NLT)