If you wanted to show what great faith some of the men of YHVH demonstrated, you picked a great book to do it. Almighty was about to punish His people with a nation even more wicked! Hab couldn't understand why...but this is what he said. Just to take time and let these words sink in....very humbling indeed.
Hab 3:
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
Lovely isn't it! Many think Grace just exists in the air, a gift to be breathed in, but man MUST acquired/appropriate Grace! And how is Grace acquired? Through Faith! And How is Faith acquired? Through the Words of GOD!
Rom 10:17 KJV So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
So many in an almost arrogant tone blow a horn of personal victory in both understanding and experience as if our walk is not daily, or hourly, even moment to moment sustained by Grace through Faith! This is such a perilous stance. Anyone is subject to falling from grace at an instant especially when a spirit of superiority and arrogance sets in! A life of meaningful fellowship with God through His Holy Spirit which includes personal revelations and witnessing of glorious acts of mercy and restoration builds up our faith. But if anyone then tries to appropriate or take these experiences as a statement of God; "You are one of my Favorites, you have extra liberties" then they are already falling from Grace. We cannot trust in our experiences, we can only trust in God! There's an old saying that came from the times of revival in the UK back in the 1700-1800's that; "everyone needs two conversions: first, from the natural to the supernatural; and second, from the supernatural to the natural." let that one sink in. it makes perfect sense and should humble every one of us!
I don't think that anyone here is saying that the more we study the word of God or the more we pray the more we can appropriate the Grace of God! So for those who assume this shame on you! You are perilously close to discouraging good behaviour and would if it weren't for the fact that many of are knowledgable enough to KNOW that receiving the Grace of God requires Faith which must be fed; and faith cannot be nourished without daily, yes DAILY nourishment from the Word of GOD, and time alone with GOD in prayer every day.
There are without a doubt three things that God does for us:
Salvation
Sanctification
and one day Glorification!
He does all three! completely!
But, When God calls us to Christ for
Salvation what is our part?
Repentance
When God through the Holy Spirit walks with us through Sanctification what is our part?
Faith and faith that He is doing it!
But are we to be vigilant, sober knowing that the enemy seeks to destroy us?
Or to be circumspect with relation to Humility knowing God rejects the proud?
This is the top of a ling list!
This list is what was meant by "working out our Salvation with fear and trembling"
When we are brought, by faith to Glorification what is our part?
We must each know this one on our own.