Faith Grows Under Pressure

Ps 86:6 Hear my prayer, O LORD?
listen to my cry for mercy.
Ps 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
for you will answer me.

Yesterday I met a Samoan pastor for tea and he was such an encouragement to me.

He has undergone some difficult moments in his life and is really spending much time with God.
In spite of his challenging circumstances, he was smiling.

He works part-time and his wife is not working. He shared with me how tight their financial situation was. And he had to repair his van, which he uses for ministry and transporting church members around. The quote for the cost of repair came up to about $500 plus. He was praying real hard for God to provide the money.

He went witnessing and met a man who was quite receptive to the Word and to him. He turned out to be a car mechanic. In the end, this mechanic charged him $200+ for the repairs to the van.
God is good. God saved my pastor friend a tidy sum.

As he shared with me this incident, I realize how sometimes when we have enough funds, we don't really ask God and be dependent on God as much.
We would try to negotiate with the first mechanic to try to get the $500+ bill reduced.

But when we are desperate, we cry out to God.
We lean on God more and more. Praying more and more.
And in this case, God provided another way out for my pastor friend.

When we are desperate, when we are under pressure - we call out to God.
God does answer us.
And our faith is strengthened.
Our faith is strengthened under pressure.

Ps 86:12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
Ps 86:13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave