The Faith Album -- part 1
Many of us like to pull out our old family photo albums and reminisce as we look at all the pictures. Each snapshot brings back a memory, a time of special joy, or a moment in family history. As a Christmas gift several years ago, my sister gave me a photo album filled with our family pictures from over a fifty-year span. As we paged through the book, it was such a blessing to recall those days gone by -- the people, the times, and the feelings we shared.
Sometimes we look at a picture only to be reminded of how we used to wear our hair or how thin we were back then! The photo album really tells our life story, where we came from, what we did, and who we influenced. One thing is for certain. There is always recognizable change, development, and growth from one stage to another as demonstrated by the documentation of the photos.
Faith is something we can measure as well. We all received a measure of faith from God when we came to the knowledge of the Lord. Ephesians 2:8 says that faith came by grace as a gift from God. It was not human effort, works, or some effort on our part. Faith to be saved was a gift from God. The Bible tells us that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature (Luke 2: 52). He too grew in His journey of faith as He learned to obey His Father and walk in the anointing.
Over the next several weeks let’s take a closer look at faith as though we were turning the pages of a photo album and find the faith pictures that best fit our lives. Hopefully, we will recognize our growth and development as Mothers of Nations as we see how God has encouraged and challenged our personal faith walk with Him.
GREAT FAITH
The first picture of faith we will examine is found in chapter eight of the book of Matthew. It is called “great faith.”
Matthew 8: 5-10 (NKJV)
Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”
Jesus said great faith is rare. The dictionary’s definition describes great faith as notably larger, chief over others, or markedly superior in quality or quantity. Jesus was amazed at the Centurion’s faith as he told Jesus to “only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.”
The Centurion understood the power of command of a higher-ranking officer. He knew the principle of authority and therefore realized by faith that Jesus could just command the healing and it would be done. He also recognized that Jesus had authority coming from above. In submission to His Father, He could exercise the word and give a command.
There did not need to be twenty-four-hour prayer sessions scheduled, travail for days, begging, screaming, fasting, or crying. The Centurion knew the Word sent was all that was needed. Jesus was astonished at the man’s revelation of authority and said that the Centurion had great faith. In some versions it translates that Jesus said the Centurion’s reward would equal his faith. The Centurion’s faith was chief over all the others. It was great faith.
As Mothers of Nations, may we all learn to develop such faith as well!
Dr. Sharon Predovich
