One of my favorite pastors shared this story in the conclusion of his sermon. A train derailed while traveling through the mountains, and tragedy seemed inevitable. When the passengers realized what was happening, many of them panicked and started calling their loved ones or writing their last will and testament. A few jumped out of the train, assuming it was better to die immediately than to prolong the suffering. But in the midst of the hysteria, a little girl sat calm, playing with her baby doll’s hair. One of the passengers asked her, “How can you sit calm, playing with your baby doll’s hair? Don’t you realize we’re about to die?” The little girl replied, “I’m not going to die. My dad is the conductor, and he promised he was going to take me somewhere.”
Faith keeps us stable when everyone else is shaky. More importantly, faith is our admission ticket to God’s favor, for “it is impossible to please God without faith” (Hebrews 11:6, New Living Translation). Doubt offends God. In the verses cited above, God got angry in response to the Israelites doubt, and He promised they (everyone who was 20 years old or older) would die without entering the promised land. Only two exceptions were cited, Joshua and Caleb, because they believed God could do what He promised.
In spite of the news reports, economic woes, and other calamities, we can still trust God. This is just a reminder – He has never lied, and He promised that His words would never disappear (Matthew 24:35). Continue to believe what He said, and watch the promises show up in your life!