Reckon On His Faithfulness

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

1 Corinthians 16:13

In his book People My Teachers, British preacher John Stott recalls discovering a literary genre called Christian Biography as an undergraduate at Cambridge University. Stott said that in reading about the lives of giants in the faith, he found his own life mentored by a host of heroes. Especially impressive was J. Hudson Taylor, the memorable missionary to China, who, through his biography, taught Stott the power of steadfastness in faith.

Hudson Taylor’s primary principle was “dependence on God alone,” and it’s no accident that one of his biographies was titled The Man Who Believed God. Hudson Taylor taught that faith rests on God’s faithfulness, and he liked to render Jesus’ command to “have faith in God” (Mark 11:22) as “Reckon on the faithfulness of God.”

“This paraphrase, although not exegetically exact, is theologically correct,” said Stott. Because God is faithful, we can reckon on His faithfulness, believe His promises, depend on His help, and have faith in His watchful care.

Trust Him today. Reckon on His faithfulness.

I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God: first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.

J. HUDSON TAYLOR