One year prior to our departure for Africa as missionaries, my mother passed away due to cancer. Being an only child, I knew our move was going to be even more difficult for my Dad, who was not a Christian. With only one sister near him, no other family, and no connection with a church, the next four years would be a lonely time for him. All I could do was pray and ask the LORD for His help and wisdom in this situation. It was not long until the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit put these words in my heart. “You do what I have called you to do and I will take care of your Dad.” This brought faith from merely a settled attitude of trust to an action of obedience.
There were a lot of unknowns in this life-changing relocation, but it was still not a ‘blind leap’ into the dark. The tiny mustard seed of faith planted several years earlier had been growing. It was probably still only a small plant by this time. Yet, I did know we could trust God and His leading. He had called us to this ministry and had given us many scriptures affirming His guidance. He had already proven we could trust Him even when He led us to make major changes. My wife and I both had given up excellent jobs, sold our home, and moved to a small college apartment 200 miles away. During our time at Bible College, He provided all we needed and gave us great joy. We have never once regretted this move.
James tells us that passive faith is not enough. In fact, in 2:20 he declares that faith without works is useless. This could also be translated trust without application is worthless. He also adds that even demons believe or have faith; they just never act upon truth. Faith must go beyond merely knowing truth; it must become a practical submission of our entire being to the guidance and control of His truth.
Biblical faith also goes beyond feelings and emotions. C.S. Lewis said, “The battle is between faith and reason on one side and emotions and imagination on the other.” After we have put our trust in a promise of God, Satan will try and use our emotions such as fear or depression to bring doubt. However, once we know God is giving us a certain promise or direction, or truth from His Word, we must not allow our emotions, or changing moods to alter our trust. For me, leaving my grieving Dad, who within less than a year had lost his wife, was not an easy emotional experience for me. Yet, God assured me that He would take care of my Dad.
Well, what did that mean? How was He going to take care of Dad? About 18 months after settling into our new home in Africa, I received a letter from Dad, which was normal every couple of weeks. This letter would turn out to be much different from the typical news from home. He wrote that he had started going to church. Someone had invited him to attend the senior’s weekly fellowship group. This led to him attending all the regular services. At the age of 80 years, he was baptized in water confessing his faith in Christ. This was something I had prayed for everyday since I was a young boy, even during my rebellious teenage years. Now I understood how God would take care of my Dad.
A question I have pondered through the years is, if I had not made the step of faith and trusted God’s leading and the promise that He would take care of my Dad, would he be in heaven today? My logic tells me he would not. If we had not moved so far away and instead remained near him, he would have never become so lonely that he began attending church for fellowship that led to his salvation.
Jesus applied clay to the eyes of a blind man at the temple and told him that if he washed in the Pool of Siloam he would receive his sight. The man could have said to himself, “I believe what He said, but I’m just going to sit here and wait for my sight to recover.” Instead, he trusted Jesus and made his way several hundred yards to the pool—still blind—where he applied Jesus’ instructions. There the miracle took place and the man was able to see. Had he not taken action on his trust in Jesus, he would have remained blind. It was not a blind leap into darkness (no pun intended), it was an action based on his trust in Jesus.
The word faith means trust. Mature faith is not a mental exercise. It is not something we have to convince ourselves of every morning; rather it is a settled attitude. This attitude allows us to take action on what He teaches us from His Word and where the Holy Spirit leads. If we trust Him, we can also trust what He says. Sometimes people pray and ask God to increase their faith, but in reality, all they need to do is apply the faith they already have. The mustard seed of faith grows as we apply the faith we have.
Sustaining Word for the Week:
Trust Him this week and apply what He has instructed you to do and what He teaches you from the Bible. He will take care of the rest.