Is my faith too small?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Every part of me believes in God. I know He cares for me and hears my prayers. But He seems silent and far away. I know He isn’t, but I don’t sense Him moving in my life. Is there a purpose in this – is my faith too small? – G.S.
A: On the natural level, we tend to neglect the privilege of prayer until we encounter sufferings or difficulty of some kind. We often need to be driven to real prayer by the circumstances that surround us.
The great evangelist Dwight L. Moody was fond of pointing out that there are three kinds of faith in Jesus Christ: struggling faith, which is like a man floundering and fearful in deep water; clinging faith, which is like a man hanging to the side of a boat; and resting faith, which finds a man safe inside the boat – strong and secure enough to reach out his hand to help someone else.
That is the sort of faith we must desire and pray for in order to be effective as Christians. Why does discouragement lead to suffering? One of the things that comes out of life’s struggles is learning patience and trust.
These words were found penned on the wall of a prison cell in Europe: “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I don’t feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent.”
Sometimes God seems so quiet! However, when we see the way He works in lives imprisoned by walls or circumstances, when we hear how faith can shine through uncertainty, we begin to catch a glimpse of the fruit of patience that can grow out of the experience of suffering. May we pray for God’s strength; may we know that His light shines behind the clouds, and our lives are in His hand.
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
©2024 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(c)2024 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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