Developing a Faith that Sustains

Today, it is clear we need a faith that will sustain us, strengthen us, and bring us closer to God, in these troubled times we are living in.

Unemployment is at record levels, defaulting mortgages and foreclosures are still increasing, political leaders are unable to work together to make decisions for our country’s well-being, and families torn apart by violence.  Wherever you turn, the news seems dire. There is both an urgent need for the saving Word of God – and protection for our families from a literal shortage of provision!

I want to encourage you today, because I believe we are experiencing a “famine in the land.”  Some of the descriptions of famine include “an acute insufficiency, dearth or shortage;” “the state of something absent or unavailable;”  “an increasing loss of food and sustenance over long periods of time, resulting in illness or death.” During these very challenging times, it vital to understand the power of a “miracle-working faith” that sustains!

The importance of this kind of faith is written of in 1 Peter 1:7:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7

We know that we will experience periods of trial, and this scripture reminds us that—even when our lives are put to extreme test—holding onto our faith is more precious than any other thing of this world.

No matter what “trial” we are going through – no matter what “fire”…or urgent life circumstance we may experience…we are encouraged to hold onto our faith! That’s because it is the consistent active obedience of our faith—even in the worst of times—that touches God’s heart and releases His abundance.

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. Hebrews 10:36 (NASB)

This is telling us that your faith is the determining mechanism that activates God’s promises! It is not always easy to hold onto our faith when the going gets rough. Even in the Bible we see moments when God’s most faith-filled children experienced a crisis of their faith. In Exodus 4:10 – 17, Moses – one of the greatest of God’s believers in the Bible – experienced a wavering of faith so that God had to provide Aaron as his backup! In Luke 22:32, Jesus told his “rock,” Simon Peter, that He had prayed that Peter’s faith not fail him!

God knows our faith may waver… but we are continuously cautioned in His Word to hold onto our faith no matter what the reality appears to be around us. When we are able to walk out our faith in the face of extreme trial, God realizes that our act of faith is a sacrifice…and it pleases Him that our faith is bigger than our problems!

There is a perfect biblical illustration of God operating in a time of famine, in 1 Kings 17. In this chapter, God uses the illustration of a widow woman whose offering and sacrifice to the Prophet Elijah was rewarded by a double miracle!

It begins with God instructing Elijah, His faithful servant, on how He will provide for him during a time of famine:

And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. (vs. 2-6)

When the brook dries up, God instructs Elijah to go to the town of Zarephath, where He has made provision for him (vs. 9 – 12):

…behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

Although this woman and her son were near to starvation, the widow obeyed, and put God’s Prophet before herself and the thing most precious to her: her own son. And her obedience was rewarded, as God sustained her, even amid the drought and famine (vs. 15): And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

The provision released by the faith and obedience of the widow of Zarephath is an example of how the unrelenting application of our faith moves God to release His provision – even in the worst economic times! In faith, the widow woman obeyed the voice of the Prophet Elijah, and in return experience God’s continual provision in her home, even during the famine.

But this was only the first miracle released through her faithful obedience and sacrifice! In verse 17, we read about miracle number two: After her son fell sick and died, the woman turned to Elijah in her sorrow. And, Elijah interceded, praying and crying out to God to resurrect the son of this woman, who’d obeyed the Lord’s command to offer up all that she had; and in verse 22, it says: the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

The widow woman’s faith and obedience were the keys that unlocked God’s provision and resurrection power. Even amid a famine in the land—God can resurrect dead things in your life!

I encourage you today to begin to strengthen your faith, and resolve to develop the kind of miracle-working “crazy faith” that will release God’s abundance in your life. Resolve to walk and act in faith and obedience, and continue to sow into His Kingdom to help advance His will on earth!

Today, you can support the efforts of this ministry God has given us together.  I encourage you to release your faith-filled gift of sustainment into the fertile soil of Paula White Ministries, and help us continue to:

• Reach over 150 nations through our television program to give hope, healing, and empowerment in Christ…

• Touch the hungry and the hurting through our humanitarian efforts like our “Table in the Wilderness Feeding” and Back to School Bash”…

• Bring life transformation through Christ, by giving people the tools they need to understand God’s Word, overcome life’s obstacles, and discover their unique destinies and abundant life in Christ!

Together, we will continue to walk out God’s will for our lives, and advance His Kingdom—as we develop a “faith that sustains.”  And through your faith and obedience today—even during this modern-day “famine in the land” —you will experience God’s resurrection power… and release His abundant provision into your life!

To Sow Your Offering of Sustainment