The Faith Album -- part 5
Mothers of Nations, we have two more weeks of blog entries regarding our Faith Album topic. Today let's look at two more examples of faith as shown in the Word of God.
RICH IN FAITH
This next page shows us examples of being “rich in faith.” Being rich in faith means that you have an abundance of faith. Your faith is significant and noticeable to others, even though you may be poor in material goods.
So many of our missionaries are rich in faith, yet poor in material possessions. In India I have met countless numbers of Christians who own nothing, live with little, and yet they have and are extremely rich in faith.
Some people are rich in faith in particular areas of the gospel. I myself have grown rich in faith to believe God for certain things because of experiences I have encountered while speaking the Word. For example, as a minister of the Gospel, I can exercise faith for salvation whenever I am doing an overseas crusade. Something just empowers me to believe for souls and great numbers come to the Lord every time.
Life experiences have encouraged my husband and I to be rich in faith regarding the provision and the favor of the Lord. We have just come to expect favor to manifest everywhere we go.
There are other people who are rich in faith for healing. I have a dear minister friend who is in her seventies now. She has exercised faith for healing for herself and others for years. Tumors have disappeared, mental illness has been healed, arthritis is gone, and many more healings have occurred, all due to her rich belief in the healing power of God.
Our daughter and son-in-law run a home for forty-five street children in Kampala, Uganda. Rich in faith, they have had to believe God for finances for these children daily now for over five years. People have sent them small amounts and large amounts to keep these young men in school. Sometimes they have had no money left to feed the children, but a check will then show up at the ministry with just enough to pay for another month or two of meal provisions.
One time they were desperate for funds, and time was running out. They went on a fast for a breakthrough. By faith they believed God for a miracle. The next week they received a phone call from someone 7,000 miles away who wanted to send them $ 10,000 to build a wing onto their building, as well as send them another $ 1,000 for whatever they needed at that time. The man who called was a millionaire they did not know but was looking for someone who was helping street boys in Uganda. What an answer to their prayers! It came because they were believing in faith, and this man was sowing in faith. Now that is rich!
MATURE IN FAITH
Abraham exemplifies another type of faith. Abraham was called God’s friend because he was “mature in faith.” His faith and actions worked together and was made complete. Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. He was justified by what he did, and not by faith alone.
James 2: 20-24
But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
The word “mature” means that full growth and development have been reached. Some would say that the mind and the body have grown to become fully developed. Mature faith is when we reach a place of peace and assurance in an area of life that nothing can upset, change, or alter our thinking. Abraham had come to a place where he and God could communicate from a position of faith and action.
Dr. Sharon Predovich
