A Reasonable Faith

"Because faith deals with the supernatural and the divine, it does not always seem to be 'reasonable'. It was not using 'common sense' for Abraham to go out, not knowing where he was going, but simply obeying God's command (Hebrews 11:8). It was not 'shrewd' of Joshua to attack Jericho without death-dealing weapons (Joshua 6:1-20). Men of the world would scoff at such 'insanity'. But it worked!

"Actually, faith is most reasonable. What is more reasonable than that a creature should trust his Creator? Is it insane to believe in One Who can neither lie nor fail nor err?  To trust God is the most sensible, sane, rational things that a man can do. It is no leap in the dark. Faith demands the surest evidence and finds it in God's unfailing Word ... Faith in the Lord involves no risk whatsoever ...

"Faith is opposed to sight. Paul reminded us that 'we walk by faith and not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:7). To walk by sight means to have visible means of support, to have adequate reserves for the future, to employ human cleverness in insuring against unseen risks. The walk of faith is the very opposite; it is a moment by moment reliance on God alone. It is a perpetual crisis of dependence on the Lord. The flesh shrinks from a position of complete dependence on an unseen God. It seeks to provide a cushion against possible losses. If it cannot see where it is going, it is apt to suffer complete nervous collapse. But faith steps forward in obedience to the Word of God, rises above circumstances, and trusts the Lord for the supply of all needs.

"Any disciple who determines to walk by faith can be sure that his faith will be tested. Sooner or later, he will be brought to the end of his human resources. In his extremity, he will be tempted to appeal to his fellow men. If he is really trusting the Lord, he will look to God alone ...

"We have already mentioned that a disciple who walks by faith will doubtless be considered a dreamer or a fanatic by men of the world or even by other Christians. But it is good to remember that 'the faith that enables one to "walk with God" enables him also to attach the proper values to the thoughts of men' (C.H. Mackintosh)"

[Andrew Murray, True Discipleship, pp.39-41].

The Rent Was Paid

"God constantly pours His blessings upon us and sometimes we can take them for granted. But occasionally a blessing comes with such perfect timing that it stands out ... Such [a] blessing took place over forty years ago ... I and another first started out in a ministry that required us to live 'by faith'. My family was in rented accommodation for a few months and at one point we were short of the amount needed to pay the rent - with no obvious means of making up the balance - on the day the landlord was due to collect the payment. The afternoon had been spent helping someone in a church in South London, who afterwards insisted we receive something for our time, help, and prayer.

"As our practice was to rely solely on the Lord to supply our financial needs, and they usually arrived anonymously, we were reluctant to accept their kind gift, but as the person persisted we accepted it while emphasising that normally all ministry was given freely and without cost, only to find later that the amount given made up the balance due on the rent to the very penny.

"In addition, there was another blessing to come, because God's timing, as well as His ways, is perfect; within a few minutes of arriving home the landlord was knocking on our door and the rent was able to be paid in full! What a wonderful God we have!"

[Michael Smith, Gospel Insights, Chapter 24, 'Christian Faith and God's Provision', October 2013].

A Faith Venture

"There are times when God speaks so clearly to us that there is no doubt and the 'great compelling' of God moves us to act in a way we would think impossible ... I was given the name of an estate agent and went to see him. As I explained what I wanted, it felt as though he had been expecting me. 'Here is the key,' he said, 'to just the sort of place you need for a school.'  It was!  The one snag was that there was no money available!  The Lord again spoke so clearly to us. We were not to ask for money from anyone nor were we to let anyone know we were in need ... He also made it absolutely clear that we were not to receive grants or an government funding.

"We had no idea where the money for the first house was coming from and it was an exciting time watching the Lord work; and in it came ...

"God spoke to us the day of the auction - we were to buy these buildings whatever they cost ... When we went to the auction we had no idea how much the buildings would go for but the amount we had, turned out to be just enough for the 10% deposit. Such is our God!  Where was the rest of the money coming from?  We did not know, but HE did.  After a few exciting, and, yes, testing moments, the full amount of £211,000 was paid three months after the auction. All praise to the Lord" [Betty Gross, The Founding of the Cedars School 1969].

"In 1969, after the exercise of much faith and patience, the Lord graciously gave the finance to buy the first of the buildings in which the school was housed. Three years later another house nearby was given and in 1980, five buildings opposite the first one were put up for auction together ... a gift came through the letter box that same evening which made up the 10% deposit needed immediately for the £211,000 for which the buildings were sold the next day, and for which God marvellously provided over the next three exciting months"

[The Story of the Cedars School, recounted in Prophecy Today, July-August 1998].

Daily Manna

"God had also instructed that no person should 'leave any portion of it until morning,' but some did. As a result, it bred worms and became foul just as God had warned. Obviously, the person who gathered more than what God had commanded, or who tried to keep some for the next day, was demonstrating that he doubted God would provide every day. Sometimes (but not all the time, or forever) we may have to trust God for daily provision. I have at times, and God has always been faithful. Once, during a lean time, someone whom I hardly knew stopped by and gave my wife and me two gift certificates from a local grocery store, worth fifty dollars. God provided!  'Give us this day our daily bread' became a prayer to which we could relate.

"That was a precious time in my walk with God. I learned to trust God, and my faith grew. Much of the time it looks as if God is not going to come through, but I'm not concerned with what it looks like - I'm trusting God's Word, and He always comes through. It seems as if it is usually at the last minute. If you trust God, trials are times to see miracles"

[David Servant, Tests and Trials].

The Living Fountain

"To make known my wants, directly or indirectly, to a human being, is departure from the life of faith, and a positive dishonour to God. It is actually betraying Him. It is tantamount to saying that God has failed me, and I must look to my fellow for help. It is forsaking the living fountain and turning to a broken cistern. It is placing the creature between my soul and God, thus robbing my soul of rich blessing, and God of the glory due to Him"

[C.H. Mackintosh, quoted in Andrew Murray, True Discipleship, p.40].

School Fees

"Our children were in private school and we were struggling to pay the fees ... I prayed and the fees were some crazy amount like £2745.50 (I can't recall exactly). Well we wrote the cheque and ... we had a cheque the following day for EXACTLY that amount from [my husband's] tax or something equally unpredictable - He can provide exactly I'm sure of that"

[email on file, 31 October 2009].

Behold, My Servant, Whom I Uphold (Isaiah 42:1)

"1 Corinthians 9:14 tells us that the Lord has directed that those who preach the gospel should get their living through the gospel. But Paul then went on to say in verses 15 to 18 that he did not want such support for himself, because he worked on the principle of supporting himself and serving the Lord. That was why Paul could speak freely to the Corinthian Christians about giving money to the Lord - because he never received any financial support for himself from them. He urged them to give their money to poor believers who were in need.

"We never find Jesus or any of the apostles ever asking anyone to support them or their own ministry financially. They spoke only of giving money to the poor (See Mark 10:21; John 13:29; 2 Corinthians 8&9 and Galatians 2:10). This is the way of discipleship in money matters.

"This message is especially needed by full-time Christian workers today, because many of them unashamedly ask and even pressurise believers to support them and their ministry - even going to the extent of saying that God will punish those who don't give!  This is not God's way. God's way is one where we spend our time and energy watering (caring for) others and God then waters (cares for) us (Proverbs 11:25). This is the way of faith in God, where we do not depend on men.

"When I worked in the Indian Navy, it was the Navy that took care of my salary and all my bodily needs. I did not have to go and ask anyone else for financial help. Isn't God greater than the Navy or any other employer?  If we are indeed servants of an Almighty God, do we have to go and ask mortal men for help? It is an insult to the dignity of our God when His servants go begging for money from other believers. God is jealous that His servants should depend on Him alone and not on any man ... If God has called you to serve Him full time, make sure that you remain a servant of God and never become a servant of men"

[Zac Poonen, Practical Discipleship, Chapter Three: Discipleship and Money Matters].

"A true servant of God is one who is upheld by God, not by money or by an organization or any human agency. The Lord is the One Who should uphold us at all times. Men may give us gifts, but we must never depend on men or money. The word 'uphold' refers to that which we are dependent on. We must be dependent on the Lord alone. It is when we come to the place of helplessness that God puts His Spirit on us" [Zac Poonen, The Glory of a True Servant of God, CFC, 3rd September 2010].
 

"As you will know, we make no requests for funds, we simply trust the Lord (who sits over against the treasury and so sees the whole picture) to maintain His work" [Jean Rosevear, Creation Science Movement].
 

A Bank That Cannot Break

"[George] Muller's rule for the orphanages he established was simple: wait upon God alone. He never made the needs of the children known to people other than his closest associates, and he never sought or solicited practical or financial help from outside. In so doing, the Lord was truly in charge of the orphanages, and He received all the glory and praise and not man. As one biographer writes, 'Famine and drought never reached the Bristol orphanage: the supplies might come slowly and only for one day at a time, but somehow, when the need was urgent and could no longer wait, there was enough.'

"The following episode illustrates the practical outworking of the inner faith which the Lord instilled into the workers at Ashley Down: 'A Gentleman and some ladies visiting the orphan houses saw the large number of little ones to be cared for. One of the ladies said to the matron of the Boy's House: "Of course, you cannot carry on these institutions without a good stock of funds"; and the gentleman added, "Have you a good stock?"  The quiet answer was, 'Our funds are deposited in a bank which cannot break.'  The reply drew tears from the eyes of the lady, and a gift of five pounds from the pocket of the gentleman - a donation most opportune, as there was not one penny then in hand.'

"According to Muller's own testimony: 'Now if I, a poor man, simply by prayer and faith, obtained, without asking any individual the means for establishing and carrying on an orphan house...'"

[Paul Wilkinson, 'The Lord is my Helper', FCA Newsletter, July 2011].

Entire Dependence Upon God

"This is how Hudson Taylor outlined ... the way in which provision was to be made for God's work: 'The mission is supported entirely by the free-will offerings of the Lord's people. The needs of the work are laid before God in prayer, no personal solicitations or collections being authorized. No more is expended that is thus received, going into debt being considered inconsistent with the principle of entire dependence upon God'

"In tending to his sick friend night and day, Hudson Taylor had had to change his clothes many times and leave them in the isolation room. To avoid spreading the infection, his clothes now had to be destroyed, but Hudson Taylor had no money to pay for a fresh supply having given everything he had to those in greater need. As his son records, 'he would have been in serious difficulty, but for the resource of prayer. Just then, strange as it may seem, a long-lost box arrived containing among other belongings all the clothing he had left in Swatow fifteen months previously. For God is a real Father, and still knows His children's needs before they ask Him ... Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. The Lord will provide'."

[Paul Wilkinson, 'The Lord is My Helper', FCA Newsletter, July 2011].

Rees Howells: Intercessor

See here for some quotes from the biography by Norman Grubb of the myriad times and ways in which the Lord miraculously provided for the needs of Rees Howells and those for whom he prayed and interceded.

Should We Ignore Economics and Just Trust God?

"I have cringed while someone, giving a 'testimony' in church, said she didn't have ant money in her checking account, but she 'trusted God' and wrote a check anyway. I wanted to stand up and say: You told a lie and committed a crime, and as far as I know, God still objects to both of those things! Writing a bad check is as wrong as any other form of fraud" [source?].

EMcD: A caveat I'd make regarding the above quote, is a 'Rees Howells' or other 'faith' type situation. If God has called someone to live by faith, or if He has specifically spoken to someone regarding a specific purchase, then He will tell them to go ahead with that thing - even if they don't have the money to hand, because He will provide the money when it's needed. The woman in the quote above doesn't mention that she had had a witness from God to write the cheque (though she might have done, but then I would have expected her testimony to include that fact); she just seems to have made a 'unilateral' decision and presumed upon God to honour it... That is presumption, not faith, and I completely agree that God will object to that, and will certainly not honour it"

Thus saith the LORD,
Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way,
and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls
(Jeremiah 6:16)

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