The Faith of a Soldier
The sea tossed and turned as the troubled soldier searched the restless water for answers. His solid stature was the perfect template for the uniform he wore. He was a man of integrity, and more importantly, faith. His young friend lay helpless in bed, stricken with severe illness. After doing what he could to make the boy comfortable, he found his way to the seaside village of Capernaum, hoping to find the holy man endowed with the healing power of God. As the soldier scanned the area, he noticed a crowd begin to form near the beach. He made his way toward the assembly and immediately recognized the man, Jesus. The crowd separated as the soldier sought to meet with Jesus face-to-face. When he looked into His eyes, he knew instantly that this was truly the Messiah, the son of God. He asked Jesus if He would come to his home and pray for his paralyzed friend. Jesus agreed to go to his house and heal his friend. The soldier was overwhelmed by Jesus' eagerness to help. Suddenly, his faith soared without doubt. The soldier held the position of Captain in the Roman army and knew something about the power of authority. “When I tell my men to do something, they do it. There is no need to come to my home. Command the sickness to leave, and it will leave.” It was now Jesus who was taken aback by the soldier's statement of faith. Jesus' final word to the crowd that day was, “I haven’t seen faith like this in all of Israel. " The young man was healed the same day! (Math. 8:5-10)
The lesson here is to understand and accept that God is the ultimate power of all that exists, and that He and His Word are the same. If God said we can move mountains, then we can do so by faith in His Word. “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence.” to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (Math 17:20) Jesus compared faith to a small seed that grows into a large bush when planted. Farmers grow crops by planting small seeds and believe they will succeed. Faith is as simple as growth increasing. Get hold of something God said in His Word, and then be patient as your faith increases until it comes to pass. For more about God’s plan for man, go to the archives.
