July 16, 2004

[Rev. Doc]

Faith

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17:20

Sadly, the depth of our faith is many times based on our surrounding situations. We need to see past these and recognize that God is always in control.

Hudson Taylor was a man of great faith in God, as well as a great missionary. When he first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel. Very close to the shore of a cannibal island the ship was becalmed, and it was slowly drifting shoreward, unable to go about, and the inhabitants of the island were eagerly anticipating a feast. The captain came to Mr. Taylor and besought him to pray for the help of God.

"I will," said Taylor, "provided you set your sail to catch the breeze."

The captain declined to make himself a laughing stock by unfurling sails in a dead calm.

Taylor said, "I will not undertake to pray for the vessel unless you will prepare the sails."

And it was done. The missionary retired to his stateroom to pray. While engaged in prayer, there was a knock at his door.

"Who is there?"

The captain's voice responded, "Are you still praying for wind?"

"Yes."

"Well," said the captain, "you'd better stop praying, for we have more wind than we can well manage."

And, sure enough, when but a hundred yards from shore, a strong wind struck the sails of the boat, so that the inhabitants of the island were cheated out of their human prey

Prayer: Ask God to help you develop a strong faith, not based on human reason, but on God's power.

"Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends." ~George Muller.