Of Little Faith

One of my most favorite attributes of God is His faithfulness. We don’t think about that often, God’s faith. We often consider our own faith and factor that in as a little portion of what we can offer to the Lord for his goodness, love and mercy.

Faith has been known to be lacking in some and making them well with the Lord in others, according to Biblical accounts.

I know when it comes to my own faith, I feel like it's often lacking. Inevitably, I fail, sin, make mistakes and become unfaithful to God, yet He is still faithful. He can’t help but be who he is, he cannot deny his faithfulness. He is still faithful.

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. 2 Timothy 2:13

In response to God's faithfulness, I come to God and offer what I can in return, my seemingly little faith.

It seems at time, that my faith isn’t much. It feels so small in comparison. Yet Jesus proclaims that those who have the faith of a mustard seed can perform the mightiest of feats in the form of mountain moving.

Small faith transforms into mountain moving capacity with a touch of faith in Jesus. A woman had believed in this man that she heard of who could heal, restore, and make her whole again. So much so that she knew all she had to do was reach out and take in even a small part of His faithfulness, grace and mercy.

When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him trembling in fear, and she told Him the whole truth. “Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.” Mark 5:27,33-34

This woman had nothing to offer this healer, this giver of life, but a faith that hung on by a thread of His garment, which resulted in her restoration. We too have this opportunity even when we feel like we don't have much to give, even when we just have a little faith to offer.

This seems counterintuitive to a society that tells us to "go big or go home." This even seems contrary to Christianity that promotes a big, mountain moving type of faith. The thing is, it's not the faith that has to be big to move the mountains, it's the Faithful One in whom we have faith. That's when He whispers to you, daughter (or son), your faith has made you well. Mountains aren’t moved by strength but rather by a touch of faith in the One who is always faithful.

Mountains of faith grow out of a storm tossed sea, where it seems that pain, suffering or even death will be the only outcome.

A windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” Luke 8:23-25

The apostles' faith was weak that day and Jesus reprimanded them for their little faith, but from their fearful situation faith grew. Out of their storm they learned to depend on the One who could control the circumstances around them. After seeing Jesus for who He really is, the only thing to parish that night was their doubt. "O ye of little faith," Jesus, chides, but after witnessing Jesus' faithfulness, despite their lack of faith, a mountain of faith arose out of that storm and grew from a mustard sized seed.

Jesus just wants us to believe and trust despite our own understanding. Sounds like another verse found in Proverbs 3:5-6

In another account found in Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman came with great faith and asked for only a small portion of Jesus' faithfulness, only a morsel is all she sought, the crumbs from His table.

A woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But He answered her not a word." And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour."

Matthew 15:22-28

This woman was commended for her great faith, but it came after an initial denial from the Lord, which made her all the more earnest in her faith. She cries out all the more, "Lord help me," asking for even stronger faith to believe that He can answer her accordingly. She learned as we can, as well, that faith can find encouragement even in that which is discouraging, "Lord, help me; Lord, strengthen my faith now; improve my faith," can be our cry.

"Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." Mark 9:24

She humbled herself before the Lord and acknowledged who she really was before the Son of God. After being called a dog she admits, "True, Lord," accepting that she was nothing but a loyal dog at her master's table waiting to receive even a few crumbs from the Bread of Life.

"Oh wretched man that I am." Romans 7:24

"We must first see ourselves to be as dogs, less than the least of all God's mercies, before we are fit to be dignified and privileged with them." Matthew Henry Commentary.

That’s often all we have is our leftovers to offer God, but it is His crumbs that sustain us. Our faith that seems so minute, so finite is made stronger in the Faithful One.

From her humility this woman improved in prayer after the initial discouragement and prayed all the more and the result was an exclamation from Jesus that her faith was great and an answer to her request.

"Note, When the answers of prayer are deferred, God is thereby teaching us to pray more, and pray better. It is then time to enquire wherein we have come short in our former prayers." Matthew Henry Commentay.

Faith of believers is not all the same size and stature. Some may be weak in faith, but if true, it will not be rejected, yet great faith will be commended and well-pleasing to the Lord.

He wants us to bring what we have. I believe we can allow our circumstances in this life to help our faith grow. Everyone that came to Jesus with their problems in these Biblical accounts came in faith. Maybe the faith was little, maybe it was strong but nonetheless faith grew out of those circumstances.

I wonder if we did the same. If we allowed our faith to grow out of our financial problems our health problems , our estranged relationships, or whatever burden we may be carrying. Whatever storm we are facing, whatever table we sit at, whatever affliction we suffer, all that matters is who we reach out to with our humble hands in faith to the One who is always faithful.