The Amazing Faithfulness of God

By S. Michael Durham


In my blog last week I shared that RTM is going to launch as a full-time ministry with full-time staff on May 17. I have expressed before that I wasn’t terribly excited when first considering this step of faith. My faith was, and I think still is, so small that I thought the finances would be a constant struggle. The responsibility of making payroll and other new responsibilities did not appeal to me. After two months of prayer and the counsel of trusted confidants I knew this was the will of the Lord. However, such knowledge has not helped my faith a great deal. I have still anticipated paydays with no money.

And so in last week’s blog I did the only thing I knew to do when faith is small—go to the Word of the Lord. I cited Psalm 119:116, “Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.” This was my prayer.

Since that blog, I am blessed to be able to share that Real Truth Matters has received nearly $24,000 in donations. This is one third of this year’s budget. Amazing! All I can do is bless the Lord.

But there is yet a shame that I have experienced. It is the shame that I did not believe that a divine response would be so quick in coming. To some extent, I feel like disciples did after waking Jesus out of very sound sleep saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Jesus stood in a storm-tossed boat and commanded both wind and wave to cease, and they obeyed. No sooner had the boat ceased to rock and roll, then the disciples “were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!’”

They had asked Him to do something and He did. Why were they so surprised? Why was I so surprised when He answered so quickly for our need of funds? In each instance, the answer is the same—the answer is in Jesus’ question to the stunned apostles—“Where is your faith?” In their case and in mine, it is a matter of not using the faith we have been given. Jesus’ question to the disciples does not imply they had no faith. Rather it states the opposite: where is it?

All believers have faith, but often we do not exercise it. If we had no faith, why then pray? We ask the Lord, as did the disciples, knowing that He is able. That is faith. But to that point and no further do we seem to use our faith. Thus, when in His mercy He grants our requests, we are surprised.

All I can say is that our Heavenly Father is amazingly faithful to His children who possess very small faith. I pray that your faith is being exercised as you read this testimony of God’s faithfulness so that you and I will not be so surprised the next time He answers a prayer.