Little Faith, Big Power

Have you ever thought, “If only I had a faith like theirs?” Maybe it’s some famous missionary, or someone with an amazing healing ministry. Or, perhaps, a great intercessor. Or it could just be someone in your church. You respect them and, to be honest, envy them a little.

I guess plenty of people in the apostle Peter’s day would have thought like that about him. What a man of faith! Imagine yourself back then. You’ve joined with others for the weekly meeting of your congregation and, as usual, the Scriptures have been read, and then it’s time for any letters that have come. Today, it’s from Peter. It’s addressed to ‘those who have received a faith as precious as ours’. How amazing! This great apostle, whose faith you envy, is telling you that your faith is just as valuable as his. The word he’s used means more than precious; it means ‘worthy of honour’. It’s as if he’s saying, “Do you respect my faith? Well, I respect yours just as much.”

As you sit there, listening to Peter’s letter, one word seems to stick out: ‘those who have received a faith…’. What makes it so worthy of honour? Not its size or beauty or even what it has achieved. No, what makes it so worthy of honour is who it comes from, because it is a gift.

We all have gifts that we value, not because they were expensive or because they are beautiful, but because of who gave them to us. As I write this, I’m looking at a little green box on my desk. It’s only made of plastic. In it is a tiny compass. And on the lid is written ‘I’m lost without you’. I’d be devastated if anything happened to it. I’ve treasured it for years. Why? Because my wife, Sue, gave it to me. Our faith is God’s gift to us (have a look at Ephesians 2:8). That’s what makes it so precious.

God always gives just what’s needed. Are you facing a really challenging situation? Well, your ‘mustard seed’ of faith will be enough. Listen to Jesus: ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it will obey you’ (Luke 17:6). When the need arises, God-given faith, however tiny it seems to us, will have all the power of God behind it because He doesn’t just give the gift and go away – He stays with you.

Fantastic, isn’t it!

Prayer: Father, I don’t know what challenges I’ll face today, but You do. Thank You that the faith that You give to meet the challenges will always be enough and always comes with Your presence and Your power. Amen.