By David Faust
God stretched my faith when I became a parent. I was 24 years old and my wife, Candy, was 23 when our first child was born. Matt surprised us by arriving a few weeks early, weighing only 3 pounds 14 ounces at birth. Later, when our daughters came to us by birth and by adoption, a God-given mix of awe, joy, and holy fear again filled my heart.
God stretched my faith when our little family moved to New York to lead a new church on Long Island. Skeptical friends questioned our judgment and asked, “Do you really want to raise your family in that environment?” But we never regretted our decision. Our decade of ministry in New York brought us lifelong friends and we witnessed God’s faithfulness as our fledgling church began to thrive and grow.
The Lord stretched my faith again when Candy and I bought our first house there on Long Island. By today’s standards, the price we paid ($35,000) sounds modest, but for us it was a huge step. We didn’t qualify for bank financing, so the seller agreed to hold the mortgage himself. My hand trembled a bit when we signed the papers and closed the deal, but for the next 10 years, that little house sheltered our family and enhanced our ministry.
JEREMIAH’S REDEFINITION OF SUCCESS
My small steps of faith pale in comparison with the steps Jeremiah took. He didn’t buddy up to powerful people; he spoke hard truth that offended the king. Instead of dressing for success and polishing his public image, Jeremiah carried around a rotten linen belt to show how the people had ruined their relationship with God. Another time he wore a wooden ox yoke around his neck to illustrate how the Babylonians would bind the Jews with the yoke of slavery.
Jeremiah didn’t hang out in trendy places, either. He preached at the city dump. The Lord told him not to get married, have children, or attend parties and feasts. His preaching got him beaten and put in stocks, threatened with death, and lowered into a muddy cistern. By worldly standards, Jeremiah was a failure. We call him the weeping prophet for good reason. But genuine success is not defined by popularity, image, wealth, and comfort—nor by outward appearance and public accolades—but by faithfulness to God.
What some call failure, God considers success. What some call foolish, God calls faith.
JEREMIAH’S FIELD OF DREAMS
Jeremiah 32 describes a real estate transaction a Bible commentator calls “one of the most remarkable examples of personal faith found in the Bible.” It appeared routine: Jeremiah bought a field, then signed and sealed the deed. But if, as Jeremiah predicted repeatedly, the Jews were going to be driven from their land, buying property there didn’t look like a wise investment! It was, however, a bold demonstration of faith and hope.
Jeremiah believed in an impossible-looking dream—that someday in the distant future, God would restore the people to their land. The prophet prayed, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17). Jeremiah put his faith into action and backed up his words with his money. Are we willing to do the same?
Personal Challenge: Looking back over your life, when and how has God stretched your faith? What steps of bold faith have you taken recently? How will you put your faith into action this week?
Author: David Faust
David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Not Too Old: Turning Your Later Years into Greater Years.
