ONLY HAVE FAITH by Mrs. Wm. H. Brown

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 20, 1878

ONLY HAVE FAITH.

By Mrs. Wm. H. Brown

These words have sounded in my ears many times during the past few weeks. By reason of what I have heard and witnessed, I find my faith greatly increased, and my heart is full of praise and thanksgiving. There is no danger of our giving undue praise to God, for when we have done all that we are capable of doing in this mortal state, how very small it must appear in the eyes of an all-wise and infinite Being. Still we find in Matt. 10:29, that our Heavenly Father condescends to notice even the fall of a sparrow to the ground; and in verse 31, Jesus says, “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Then can we not learn to trust him with full confidence and faith, believing that he will lend a listening ear to the humble, earnest outpourings of the heart?

We find great promises recorded in Matthew’s gospel. Christ says, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Such faith can only be obtained by prayer and fasting.

Again in Mark 11:24: “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Dear brethren and sisters, let us take God at his word, and claim his precious promises as ours. God forbid that any, like Thomas, should be doubtful and unbelieving, but may we, if necessary, believe without seeing. I believe this is well pleasing to the Lord.

Let us seek for simple, childlike confidence in the wisdom and goodness of our Heavenly Father, and may our prayer continually be, “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief;” and may we, with Job, be able to say, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”

“Trusting, as the moments fly, Trusting, as the days go by; Trusting him whate’er betide, Trusting Jesus, that is all.”

These words of the poet fully express the feelings of my heart, and I desire to strive earnestly to retain their calm, confiding faith, which is the support of the soul. God grant that each one of us may show by our works that we have implicit faith in all of God’s promises; and by continuance in well-doing may we be permitted at last to stand with the remnant people of God, when faith is lost in sight, and the reality of all our hopes is experienced.

Mrs. Wm. H. Brown.