Perserverance of Faith

Matt 6:25-34“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are? And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life? Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith? So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

Last Sunday, P.S Eugene repeats this famous part of the bible before the sermon by P.S Khong. I believe that many have heard of this or some version of this part of the bible even if they are non-believers.

But as believers, do you have faith that God will grant you your needs if you seek his kingdom and righteousness first or do you just say it but do not complement it in action?

Just to share with you: Initially, when I just became a Christian a few months back, I was also skeptical about this. I had my own reservations about tithing and giving to the lord. I felt that my family ( or I myself) needed the money for our own daily expenditure. Even when I received my 1st pay-check of about $800, I did not consider tithing 10% of the money to the lord but only wanted to tithe what I thought was reasonable.

The time, my dad had some problems with his business and had just started being a property agent and business was not really looking good at that time.

One night, when I was coming back from a dinner with my friends, I walked past an AXN machine next to the 7-11 below my place. God just spoke to me to tithe 10% of my salary to the lord and my father's business would improve. Immediately, I decided to just tithe to him using the AXN machine.

When I reached home, I received news that my dad had closed a room! Hallejuleh!

This continued for a few days and I praised the lord for blessing us in the family.

However, my dad credited the deals to his own capabilities rather than to the Lord's help in the family. I was sad but I never stopped tithing or praying that my dad would understand the glory and grace of the lord in our family.

For the next 2 months, we had a little problem financially as my dad had difficulty closing rooms. He learnt that it was less of his capability but more of luck (God's grace as I see it) that he could close the rooms. Nevertheless, I believed that the lord will bless us as he is a faithful God.

Just this month, prayers were answered. My dad had more opportunities in his security businesses and things were looking brighter in the family financially.

Yesterday, when I reached home, my dad thanked God for helping him financially for the 1st time. I was shocked. When I talked to him, I realised that he was busy with some security business in the morning, yet he was able to close 2 rooms in the night for $900. He finally starts to realise that it was God that was helping him all along.

I believe that our God is faithful to his word. But we must be patient to wait for his timing and not ours. Even when we face difficulty in life, we must have faith that God will come true at the end if we seek his kingdom and righteousness first. Below is a story to share.

Who was United States Senator Edmund G. Ross of Kansas? I suppose you could call him a “Mr. Nobody.” No law bears his name. Not a single list of Senate “greats” mentions his service. Yet when Ross entered the Senate in 1866, he was considered the man to watch. He seemed destined to surpass his colleagues, but he tossed it all away by one courageous act of conscience. Let’s set the stage.
Conflict was dividing our government in the wake of the Civil War. President Andrew Johnson was determined to follow Lincoln’s policy of reconciliation toward the defeated South. Congress, however, wanted to rule the downtrodden Confederate states with an iron hand.
Congress decided to strike first. Shortly after Senator Ross was seated, the Senate introduced impeachment proceedings against the hated President. The radicals calculated that they needed thirty-six votes, and smiled as they concluded that the thirty-sixth was none other than Ross.’ The new senator listened to the vigilante talk. But to the surprise of many, he declared that the president “deserved as fair a trial as any accused man has ever had on earth.” The word immediately went out that his vote was “shaky.”
Ross received an avalanche of anti-Johnson telegrams from every section of the country. Radical senators badgered him to “come to his senses.”
The fateful day of the vote arrived. The courtroom galleries were packed. Tickets for admission were at an enormous premium.
As a deathlike stillness fell over the Senate chamber, the vote began. By the time they reached Ross, twenty-four “guilties” had been announced. Eleven more were certain. Only Ross’ vote was needed to impeach the President. Unable to conceal his emotion, the Chief Justice asked in a trembling voice, “Mr. Senator Ross, how vote you? Is the respondent Andrew Johnson guilty as charged?”
Ross later explained, at that moment, “I looked into my open grave. Friendships, position, fortune, and everything that makes life desirable to an ambitions man were about to be swept away by the breath of my mouth, perhaps forever.”
Then, the answer came -- unhesitating, unmistakable: “Not guilty!” With that, the trial was over. And the response was as predicted. A high public official from Kansas wired Ross to say: “Kansas repudiates you as she does all perjurers and skunks.”
The “open grave” vision had become a reality. Ross’ political career was in ruins. Extreme ostracism, and even physical attack awaited his family upon their return home.
One gloomy day Ross turned to his faithful wife and said, “Millions cursing me today will bless me tomorrow…though not but God can know the struggle it has cost me.” It was a prophetic declaration.
Twenty years later Congress and the Supreme Court verified the wisdom of his position, by changing the laws related to impeachment. Ross was appointed Territorial Governor of New Mexico. Then, just prior to his death, he was awarded a special pension by Congress. The press and country took this opportunity to honor his courage which, they finally concluded, had saved our country from crisis and division.
Courage - You Can Stand Strong in the Face of Fear, Jon Johnston, 1990, SP Publications, pp.56-58

What struck me the most about the story is that the rewards for his faith was not regonised till 20 years later.

Do not worry. Seek to please the lord 1st and then faithfully believe that he will provide.

Hebrews 11:1. “What is faith, unless it is to believe what you cannot see.”

I pray for those whose prayers may not be answered to continue preservering in your faith and do not give up and wait for his appointed time.

Our Lord is a faithful God. Amen.

Go Deep

Look Far

Dream Big