Today you may be facing some challenges and my hope and prayer is that these few thoughts will serve to strengthen your faith. James 1:3 talks about the ‘testing of your faith.’ Life can present many instances that test and challenge our faith and even shake our faith. I believe God wants to encourage and strengthen your faith today; faith comes by hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17). As we hear God’s Word, it build’s our faith!
The word ‘Emunah’ is used in Habakkuk 2:4b when the Prophet says “But the righteous one will live by his faith (Emunah).” Habakkuk had a revelation of faith being the key essential requirement for living a life for God. The New Testament writers quote this same passage in Hebrews 10:38, Galatians 3:11 and Romans 1:17 and make it very clear that there is no salvation or righteousness outside of having faith in Christ’s finished work.
When Jesus said he was finished, He meant it. Jesus has completed His work once and for all; for all humanity. There is no salvation or righteousness to be found in our own goodness or good deeds; only in our faith in Christ. It’s that unwavering, steadfast faith in God’s finished work that produces all of the benefits of the atonement in our lives. Today I want to encourage you to refuse to allow anything or anyone to move you away from faith in Christ’s finished work.
‘Emunah’ is used referring to Moses in Exodus 17:12, when Aaron and Hur held up his hands in the battle; the scripture says, “His hands remained steady (Emunah) until sunset.” ‘Emunah’ refers to ‘remaining steady’ in this passage. It was as his friends held up his arms and kept them steady, they had victory over the enemy. Today I want to hold up your ‘faith arms’ and keep them steady. Many of you are facing battles, and to see the victory you need this steady faith; you need to keep your faith high.
We are called to be those who remain steadfast in our faith in the fiercest battle. Moses’ victory depended on his hands remaining steady. And today your victory depends on you being steady in your belief in the God who will never leave you or forsake you. When the enemy comes in and shouts, intimidates and roars like a lion (1 Peter 1:8), his work is to break the steadfastness of our faith.
The work of the enemy in the garden of Eden was to come and challenge Adam and Eve and cause them to doubt. The enemy said, “Did God say?” (Genesis 3:1). If the enemy can break that steadfast faith in God’s Word and faithfulness then his work is done. But today I want to encourage you to stand firm in your faith! Even if you are feeling intense pressure, keep your faith steady!
Hebrews 10:35-38 says, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere, so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a little while He who is coming will come and not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith (Emunah) and if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.”
Faith perseveres! Faith is confident in God’s faithfulness! Faith flows from relationship with Jesus; the one who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Faith hangs in there until the promises of God are manifest. Faith has to do with you remaining firm under pressure.
Sometimes pressure can cause our faith to buckle. The Bible tells us in Genesis 12:10-20, the story of Abraham heading to Egypt because of a famine. Verse 10 says that “Abraham went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.” God did not tell Abraham to go to Egypt. God had a promised land for Abraham, a land of great blessing, but Abraham decided to go to Egypt anyway.
Abraham had a huge amount of people he was responsible for. Genesis 14:14 tells us that he had 318 fighting men. He had to make provision for all of them. As the famine grew even more severe, he began to question God’s original instructions in his mind. He came under pressure. He started to think things like, “You won’t survive here; you won’t be able to make it; this famine will kill all of you.”
It was at this point that Abraham’s faith was shaken. He moved out on his own reasoning, he moved away from a place of faith and trust in God and it brought trouble for both him and his family. His wife was taken from him and Pharaoh’s house had God’s judgement come on it as a result; eventually Pharaoh sent him away.
Today I would like to encourage you to stay true to what God has shown you in His Word and by His Spirit; faith stays the course! Now of course we do have God’s grace when we slip up. God delivered Abraham in the situation in spite of his weakness; God is faithful even when we are not. His grace covers our mistakes, that’s what Jesus died for.
But the righteous will live by faith. Today, don’t allow the pressure to get to you; I’m believing that your faith will rise again and you will dare to believe God even if you’re facing impossible odds and circumstances. Keep your faith steady today, victory is coming your way!
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