A Devotion from Charles Spurgeon

“Have faith in God.” —Mark 11:22

Faith is the foot of the soul by which it can march along the road of the commandments. Love

can make the feet move more swiftly; but faith is the foot which carries the soul. Faith is the oil

enabling the wheels of holy devotion and of earnest piety to move well; and without faith the

wheels are taken from the chariot, and we drag heavily. With faith I can do all things; without

faith I shall neither have the inclination nor the power to do anything in the service of God. If

you would find the men who serve God the best, you must look for the men of the most faith.

Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God. Poor Little-faith could

not have fought “Apollyon;” it needed “Christian” to do that. Poor Little-faith could not have

slain “Giant Despair;” it required “Great-heart’s” arm to knock that monster down. Little faith

will go to heaven most certainly, but it often has to hide itself in a nut-shell, and it frequently

loses all but its jewels. Little-faith says, “It is a rough road, beset with sharp thorns, and full of

dangers; I am afraid to go;” but Great-faith remembers the promise, “Thy shoes shall be iron

and brass; as thy days, so shall thy strength be:” and so she boldly ventures. Little-faith stands

desponding, mingling her tears with the flood; but Great-faith sings, “When thou passest

through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:”

and she fords the stream at once. Would you be comfortable and happy? Would you enjoy

religion? Would you have the religion of cheerfulness and not that of gloom? Then “have faith

in God.” If you love darkness, and are satisfied to dwell in gloom and misery, then be content

with little faith; but if you love the sunshine, and would sing songs of rejoicing, covet earnestly

this best gift, “great faith.”