3
FAITH
AND
RIGHTEOUSNESS
FOLLOW GOD’S DIRECTION
AND YOU WILL REAP BLESSINGS
“There was a famine in the land, in
addition to the first famine that was during
the days of Abraham. Isaac went to
Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar.
The LORD appeared to him and said, “Do
not go down to Egypt. Live in the land of
which I will tell you.” (Genesis 26:1-2)
M
any people find it easy to remain
faithful to God in good times but
when a crisis arises they resort to
trying to make things happen their own
way. They depend on the government,
other people, or themselves, and quickly
forget their commitment to God and His
promises towards them.
Similarly, Isaac – the son of the promise
– found himself in quite a predicament.
There was a major crisis, a famine to be
exact, and the most logical thing for him
to do was to get out of that land and
reside in a country where opportunities
existed. At the time this was Egypt. What
God was asking of Isaac seemed, to the
human eye, like madness and irrational.
But it’s in these difficult moments in life
where we show whether or not we really
believe. It’s in these moments that we
have to depend on God all the more.
Maybe, like Isaac, you are going through
a tough moment, where the light at
the end of the tunnel seems to be non-
existent. Well, here is some good news –
Isaacs story did not end here! And neither
will yours if you do as he did.
But they said, “We have certainly seen
that the LORD is with you. So, we said,
‘Let there now be an oath between us,
between you and us; and let us make a
covenant with you, that you will do us no
harm, since we have not touched you,
and since we have done nothing to you
but good and have sent you away in
peace. You are now the blessed of the
LORD.’” (Genesis 26:28-29)
Isaac obeyed the voice of God and
managed to prosper and make a
difference in a la nd that was deemed
fruitless. In fact, he didn’t just prosper; it
was a significant 100-fold gain. You too
can gain such blessings if you put God
first. When you offer your first 10% as a
tithe, you are showing God that He is
your priority. If you don’t leave God till
last and you faithfully obey Him through
every situation, be it good or bad, you
too can expect the unexpected.
“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed
Me. But you say, “How have we robbed
You?” In tithes and offerings. You are
cursed with a curse, your whole nation, for
you are robbing Me. Bring all the tithes into
the storehouse, that there may be food in
My house, and test Me now in this, says the
LORD of Hosts, if I will not open for you the
windows of heaven and pour out for you a
blessing, that there will not be room enough
to receive it. I will rebuke the devourer for
your sakes, so that it will not destroy the
fruit of your ground, and the vines in your
field will not fail to bear fruit, says the LORD
of Hosts. Then all the nations will call you
blessed, for you will be a delightful land,
says the LORD of Hosts.” (Malachi 3:8-10)
Your names, as faithful tithers will be taken
to Gerar, where Isaac reaped 100-fold,
and we will be presenting the lives of
those who are faithful. As Isaac remained
faithful to God and prospered, let the
same happen in the lives of the tithers!
bispomacedo.com/en
L
iving in the Faith is living in
righteousness. It is impossible to
have faith in the Truth and live
a lie. It is impossible to believe the
Word of God and do what the devil
likes, other than if this faith is religious,
emotional or sensationalist.
However, when faith is supported
by the Word of God’s Wisdom
and practised intelligently, then it is
impossible for faith to fail.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Author
and Finisher of Intelligent Faith. He
is the Initiator and the Concluder
of Faith. Because of this, faith and
righteousness are inseparable; they
walk. Faith symbolises man with the
image of God, and righteousness, the
Holy God of the Saints.
Isn’t this exactly what the LORD
teaches when He says, “But the just
shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)
“Now the just shall live by faith; but if
anyone draws back, My soul has no
pleasure in him.” (Hebrews 10:38)
This shows the eternal marriage of
faith and righteousness. Faith justifies
the sinner.
To live by faith means to live by
what is righteous, upright, correct,
praiseworthy and pleasing before
the Most High. God is Justice and has
lent us Faith precisely so that we may
live a righteous life in communion
with Him. This is from faith to faith or
from righteousness to righteousness.
This kind of faith is what pleases God.