Faith in a Great God

The war was over and Corrie ten boom was back in Germany. She was there to speak to some young people about the riches that we have in Christ Jesus. I wish there was a recording of that teaching!    In her book of stories called "Amazing Love", she explains that although Germans are very reserved, she invited her audience to stay for a discussion after the meeting.    It took a lot of courage  for seven young people to stay. One of them spoke up and said, I'm an atheist. You do what you do with Jesus. I do it without Him, and I do it at least as well as you. Then, he began to talk about his successes that he had been able to accomplish in his own strength.    Wise enough to pray. Corrie ten Boom didn't want to argue or debate with anyone, so she prayed silently. Then she responded, "If the time should come in your life when you can no longer go on in your own strength, then remember and think about what you've heard this evening."   Another young man spoke up  "Oh, for me, the Bible is the inventory record of all that I possess in Him. I followed Hitler with all my heart and soul. But God intervened in my life and took everything away from me. I was a prisoner, and one of my comrades read the Bible with me every day when we were in prison camp. It was then that I came to know Jesus."   Then everybody was ready to talk.  They began to talk about the troubles they had seen and what they were going through.    One young man said," I am so unfaithful. I want to believe, but my faith wavers. And now that you've told me all these wonderful things, I feel certain again. But what about tomorrow? What if I waver tomorrow? What if my faith is not strong tomorrow?   Corrie ten boom explained with an illustration. "I was a watchmaker by trade.  Sometimes we got watches that didn't keep good time. There were some things I could repair myself, but there were some things that I just had to send back to the manufacture. When the manufacture repaired them, they ran perfect again.    That's what I do with my faith, Corey explained. If there's something wrong with my faith, I just send it back to the heavenly manufacturer. When he repairs it, it works right again.    I'm so thankful that Hebrews 12:2 doesn't tell us to look to our own faith?   Corrie continued, "If it did, I might say my faith is great and that would be pride. The victory would be the devil's because spiritual pride is very destructive."   Or maybe I would say, "Oh, my faith doesn't amount to anything. It doesn't do anything for me. And that's defeatism. That's a victory for the devil, too" .    Hudson Taylor once said, "We do not need a great faith, but faith in a great God!" Hebrews 12:2a BSB "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,..) Fill your heart with the Word of God. Renew and strengthen your faith in a great God that does what He says He will do when we choose to believe Him instead of circumstances!