A central part of our faith in God is trusting that He knows best, putting matters into His hands, and waiting for Him to work. Here are a couple of situations where I was blessed when I walked by faith.
As a young adult, I prayed for a good husband. Then I met Carlos, and we shared a friendship during the activities of our Christian work in São Paulo, Brazil. After a few months, I decided to go north, and he decided to go south to help in missionary work in different states. A few weeks later, though, I realized I had made a mistake and I went back to São Paulo. I stayed at our Christian mission center and spent a whole day praying and asking God for direction, but I felt like I was talking to a blank wall. I was puzzled. The next morning, Carlos arrived and said he had felt the same. We realized it was God’s will for us to be together and we got married not long after.
About 20 years ago, I received some money through an inheritance and I decided to buy a plot of land to build a house for my family. We searched for two months, until we found the perfect plot for a fair price. It was Friday and on Monday we were going to sign the paperwork. But during the weekend, the real estate agency, which had advertised the lot for the last three months with no buyers, sold the land. The owner apologized to us, but said there was nothing he could do.
We were very disappointed, but we prayed and put the matter into the Lord’s hands. Only one week later, this man called us saying a friend of his was selling a similar plot on the same street for a good price. We bought that plot, and it turned out to be a much better and quieter spot than the first option.
Brazilian people have a remarkable resiliency and positivity about life. A missionary friend who came from Europe said that what had impressed her the most upon arriving here is how many times we mention God throughout the day. “God bless you” is often in our daily conversations. The translation of our goodbyes are: “to God,” “stay with God,” and “go with God.” We often say “God willing” when talking about future plans. It is so faith-affirming to hear these expressions of faith!
Neuroscience is discovering that people who have faith and hope for the future enjoy better mental and physical health and usually live longer. The Bible says: “A joyful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
Faith in God is what makes all the difference!