There are times in life when the circumstances we face are so impossible, so insurmountable, so daunting that we can see no way out. While terrifying, it’s also oddly comforting to know that our only hope is in Christ. As we huddle, crouched on our tiny islands surrounded by a raging storm in the middle of an unforgiving ocean, certain that there is no “phone a friend” option, no “polling the audience”, no “50-50” options provided, there comes a peace in knowing that if you are to survive – it will only be because of some divine intervention.

In a way, when you have experienced some terrible situation when you have had to rely on your faith in God, it’s a gift. Only recently I once again found myself having to rely solely on God to fix a situation. His response and solution were not ones I could have ever imagined. It encouraged me and renewed my spirit. And now, as I sit here to write to you about faith and God’s ways, I am bombarded with the memories of countless experiences when there was no other explanation for why I “survived,” but for the grace of God.

You do not need to be perfect to have faith. Your faith does not even need to be perfect for God to provide for you. In fact, throughout the Bible, God provided for His people even after they doubted Him, betrayed Him, or disobeyed Him. Thankfully, His provision is not based on how good we are, but how good He is.

In Matthew 17:14-20 Jesus casts out a demon from a child; one which his disciples had been unable to remove. They asked him, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” His response is all about their faith, “Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

For those of you who do not know how small a mustard seed is – it’s tiny – so tiny it’s only a little bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. That’s all the faith you need. But, perhaps your problems seem too big for even that much faith – look to What happened in the book of Mark.

In Mark 9 Jesus is approached by a father who wants healing for his child. He asks Jesus if there is anything He can do. Jesus’ response is again about faith.

²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

So, even when we do not have the faith we need, we can ask Him for it. What a gracious and generous God we have!

Isaiah 40:28-31
²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.