Give Me Unwavering Faith

There I sat in front of my computer, the number on my screen slowly blurring through my building tears — 2,000.

I knew I wanted to go on another missions trip this summer, but many factors were preventing it: school, lack of preparation time, funds, etc.; God, however, had other plans. A good friend of my family who is a missionary in China had asked me to join him for a month in his growing work. I really wanted to go, and I prayed earnestly about the prospect; but God would never give me peace about it. I thought, "Why, Lord, would You disprove of my going on a mission trip to China? This doesn't make any sense." Little did I know that only a few months later, He would drop a trip to Cameroon, Africa right in my lap.


Some good friends of mine who live in south Florida mentioned to me that their church was taking a group of eighteen to Cameroon and asked me if I would be interested in joining them. The proposition came so quickly, I hardly had time to think about it. I was in the middle of packing to return to college! There was no way I was going to be able to fund raise to the extent I had last year for my trip to Ghana, Africa. I came so close to passing the opportunity up, but then I prayed. God kept reminding me of His provision in the previous year. He would bring verses of Scripture to my mind such as Luke 12:29-31 "And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." Those words hit me like a punch in the face. I am going to be a full-time missionary somewhere, and I can't even trust God with a two week summer missions trip??? Immediately, I sank to my knees in complete submission to His leading. "God," I had prayed, "if You want me back in Africa this summer, I know You will provide every penny for this trip. Please, Lord, show me Your astounding provision, and increase my wavering faith."


The next day, I loaded my car and drove back to my college in Florida, trusting the Lord to provide, yet still anxious to see the funds raised. One week later I checked my e-mail, and was surprised to find that the leader of our mission team had sent an e-mail entitled, "WOW! GREAT NEWS FOR YOU!". With growing anticipation, I opened the e-mail, and tried to keep myself composed (I was in a library) as I read its contents over and over again: "Hey, Savannah! [You] received $2,000 (yep, that has 3 zeros in it) from [a donor] today! Congratulations! God continues to prove His love for us." Only one week earlier, I made a commitment — took a leap of faith — to return to Africa this coming summer; and in only one week, my Father had completely provided the funds needed to go.


Why do I ever doubt God? He has shown Himself unwavering in every aspect of my life, and yet I still lack faith in His provision. Slowly, but surely, He is teaching me to fully rely on Him to meet my every need. Psalm 78:41-42 says, "Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy." God had delivered Israel from Egypt. He had parted the Red Sea for them. He had rained manna and quail down from heaven. He had given them water from a rock. Yet the nation of Israel never failed to forget God's provision in their lives. Because of their lack of faith, God withheld many amazing things He had planned for His people. If they had just trusted Him to get them to the promised land, they would have been shown even more of God's mightiness and power. God wants to bless us. He has so much planned for us, and all He wants of us is faith no bigger than a mustard seed. How often does my lack of faith limit my Savior's power in my life? Lord, open my eyes to the wonders You have already performed in my life, and help me to never falter in my faith.

Beautiful What???

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:14-15

When I think of something beautiful, the last thing that comes to my mind is a pair of feet. What person in their right mind would look down at a person’s trotters and say, “Now that is a beautiful pair of feet!” Feet are often coated in a layer of dirt and grime. Feet step in places that hands are not willing to go. Feet tread the same ground off of which we would not eat. Some people’s feet boast yellow, untrimmed nails, and (let’s face it) STINK!

So what makes these feet in Romans 10 so special that God Himself would call them “beautiful”? These Romans 10 feet are beautiful in the Savior’s eyes because they belong to a person who preaches His gospel, and shares the joys of His salvation with others. It is my utmost desire that my precious Savior would look down on me and see my feet, worn and filthy from toiling in His work, and declare them beautiful.