Faith

Faith

Attack of the Killer Rabbits
A counselor at church camp told of his experience with a nine-year-old boy who started to cry when they turned out the cabin lights the first night. "Was he afraid of the dark?" the counselor asked. "No," the boy replied; "he just didn't want to be attacked by the 'killer rabbits.'" Some older kids at home had told him that there were "killer rabbits" who would come out at night and attack the campers.
Jesus was constantly reassuring the disciples with the words, "Fear not." Their fears betrayed their lack of faith. When one traces these words and their usage throughout the Bible, it seems that one of man's constant needs is to be reassured of the presence and comfort of God almighty. Christians can draw on this presence to find comfort and destroy their fears.
Watch out for "killer rabbits!" They can destroy your peace of mind at camp and throughout life. A Story of Faith
Pete had become lost in the desert and had been chasing mirages. He thought to himself, I'll follow this last one. It was a deserted town with a well in the very center. His mouth parched from the intense heat, he ran to the well with his last ounce of energy.
He vigorously pumped the handle only to find that no water came forth. Then, he looked up to a note nailed to the post. It instructed its readers to "look behind the rock where a five-gallon container of water will be found" and warned against drinking or using it for anything besides priming the pump. Every ounce was needed, and not even a drop could be spared, the note emphasized.
"After pouring the water down the pump, pump the handle vigorously and all the water you desire will come forth," the note said. One last instruction was to please fill the water can and place it behind the rock for the next weary soul who might happen to come along.
How hard it is for people to give up a "sure thing" for something they cannot see at the time. Pete had a sure thing in the bucket of water and yet was instructed to pour it "all" down the pump.

Faith and Works
An old boatman painted the word "faith" on one oar of his boat and "works" on the other. He was asked his reason for this. In answer, he slipped the oar with "faith" into the water and rowed. The boat, of course, made a very tight circle. Returning to the dock, the boatman then said, "Now, let's try 'works'without 'faith'and see what happens." The oar marked "works" was put in place and the boatman began rowing with just the "works" oar. Again the boat went into a tight circle but in the opposite direction.
When the boatman again returned to the wharf, he interpreted his experiment in these strong and convincing words, "You see, to make a passage across the lake, one needs both oars working simultaneously in order to keep the boat in a straight and narrow way. If one does not have the use of both oars, he makes no progress either across the lake nor as a Christian.

Why Worry When You Are a Child of a Father Who Sustains the World?
Spurgeon speaks of an evening when he was riding home after a heavy day's work. He felt weary and depressed, when as suddenly as a lightning flash came this verse, "My grace is sufficient for thee." He said, "I should think it is, Lord," and he burst out laughing. It seemed to make unbelief so absurd.
"It was as if some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and the river says, 'Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.'
"Or, it seemed like a little mouse in the granaries of Egypt after seven years of plenty fearing it might die of famine, and Joseph might say, 'Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee.'
"Again, I imagined a man away up on yonder mountain saying to himself, 'I fear I shall exhaust all the oxygen in the atmosphere.'But the earth might say, 'Breathe away, oh man, and fill thy lungs ever; my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.'"
Little faith will bring our souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to us.

How Were People Saved in the Old Testament?
Dr. Harry Ironside, for 18 years pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, told of visiting a Sunday School class while on vacation. The teacher asked, "How were people saved in Old Testament times?"
After a pause, one man replied, "By keeping the Law." "That's right," said the teacher.
But Dr. Ironside interrupted: "My Bible says that by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified."
The teacher was a bit embarrassed, so he said, "Well, does somebody else have an idea?"
Another student replied, "They were saved by bringing sacrifice to God."
"Yes, that's right!" the teacher said and tried to go on with the lesson.
But Dr. Ironside interrupted, "My Bible says that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin."
By this time the unprepared teacher was sure the visitor knew more about the Bible than he did, so he said, "Well, you tell us how people were saved in the Old Testament!"
And Dr. Ironside explained that they were saved by faith-the same way people are saved today! Twenty-one times in Hebrews 11 will you find the same words, "by faith."

What Does It Mean to Believe?
Many years ago now, when John G. Paton first went out as a pioneer missionary to the new Hebrides Islands, he found that the natives among whom he began to work had no way of writing their language. He began to learn it and in time began to work on a translation of the Bible for them. Soon he discovered that they had no word for "faith." This was serious, of course, for a person can hardly translate the Bible without it.
One day he went on a hunt with one of the natives. They shot a large deer in the course of the hunt, and tying its legs together and supporting it on a pole, laboriously trekked back down the mountain path to Paton's home near the seashore. As they reached the veranda both men threw the deer down, and the native immediately flopped into one of the deck chairs that stood on the porch exclaiming, "My, it is good to stretch yourself out here and rest." Paton immediately jumped to his feet and recorded the phrase. In his final translation of the New Testament this was the word used to convey the idea of trust, faith, and belief.
"Stretch yourself out on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

Cancer Cannot-
Cripple love!
Corrode faith!
Eat away peace!
Kill friendship!
Silence courage!
Invade the soul!
Quench the spirit!
Destroy confidence!
Reduce eternal life!
Erase the promises of God!
Obliterate happy memories!
Shatter the hope of Heaven!
Lessen the power of the resurrection!
Keep the faithfully obedient from Heaven!
Cancer can only affect the physical body for a time. It may hasten death, but it is appointed unto man, once to die, anyway (Hebrews 9:27). Therefore, if one is prepared through faith in Christ, and obedience to Christ's commands, we need not fear death! (John 12:48).

Faith, a Necessity
Faith is a daily necessity whether one is getting married, taking a job, struggling with an illness, or overcoming a handicap. And faith in God is the cornerstone of all other faiths. As one psychiatrist says, "When I learn a patient has no faith in God, I dismiss the case. There is nothing to build on." Do Not Let Hurts Hurt You
"Though I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful'" (Job 9:27 NASB).
Rejections, defeats, and failures that all of us have experienced can create enough negative feelings to destroy us. Be careful! Often the most painful wounds are not the scars that are outwardly seen, but the hidden wounds deep in the heart. Being hidden, they are often the most dangerous.
Setbacks in our lives can take the joy out of living. Our faith is weakened and if we collect enough hurts it will stop us from wanting to press forward. Even success can make one the target of criticism. Don't let the hurts hurt you!
Look at Job. A man of the land of Uz, blameless, upright, one who feared God, and one who turned away from evil. Job had seven sons and three daughters, a beautiful family. He was considered "the greatest of all the men of the East." He lost it all in the twinkling of an eye. He lost his health, wealth and family. He hurt. His wife hurt. His friends hurt. He was knocked down but not out. He had lost some of the passionate power to grow and some of his enthusiasm had diminished but he checked his negative thinking and that of his wife and friends and stated, "I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful." How could he do that after undergoing so much hurt?
Along the shoreline in California it is a common sight to see whales stopping alongside rocks to scrape off barnacles as they migrate from Alaska to Mexico. In our lifetime we also will pick up a collection of personal hurts that will attach themselves like parasites sapping the life out of us. They must be scraped off.
How did Job do it? The same way we can do it-through faith. Faith is the only thing that can heal the hurts. Job scraped the barnacles off. It was painful! It hurt! The scars would remain but his life was put back together. Strong belief in God was the medicine. His wife, his friends could not help him-only God could!

Fruitless Faucets
When Lawrence of Arabia was in Paris after World War I with some of his Arab friends, he showed them the sights of the city: the Arch of Triumph, the Louvre, Napoleon's tomb, the Champs Elysees, but none of these things impressed them. The thing that really interested them the most was the faucet in the bathtub of the hotel room. They spent much time in turning it on and off. They found it amazing that one could turn a handle and get all the water he wanted.
Later, when they were ready to leave Paris and return to the East, Lawrence found them in the bathroom with wrenches trying to disconnect the faucet. "You see," they said, "it is very dry in Arabia. What we need are faucets. If we have them, we will have all the water we want." Lawrence had to explain that the effectiveness of the faucets did not lie in themselves but in the immense reservoirs of water to which they were attached, and he had to point out that behind this lay the rain and snowfalls of the Alps.
What a tremendous application to our Christian lives. Like the faucet by itself, so as individual Christians by ourselves, without Christ we are useless (John 15:5), "...apart from me you can do nothing." The lives of many Christians are as dry as the Arabian desert. They have their faucets, but there is no connection to the Living Water. May we trust God by faith so that our lives may be abundantly fruitful. Don't be a fruitless faucet.

Operative Faith
A Christian farmer was constantly jeered at by a non-Christian because he would not work on Sunday, went to church, and gave his tithes to the Lord's work. At the end of a poor harvest season the non-Christian said to him, "Where is your God? He has certainly failed you, hasn't He?" "Oh, no," the Christian said, "my God does not close His books at the end of the harvest season." The Rich Employer
Peter Eldersveld tells of a rich Christian who had a large company of employees, and many of them owed him money. He was constantly trying to teach them something about Christianity, and one day he hit upon a plan. He posted a notice for his employees to see that said, "All those who will come to my office between eleven and twelve o'clock on Thursday morning to present an honest statement of their debts will have them canceled at once." The debtors read the notice with a great deal of skepticism, and on Thursday morning, although they gathered in the street in front of his office, not one of them went to the door. Instead they gossiped and complained about their employer, and ridiculed the notice he had posted. They said it didn't make sense.
But finally, at 11:45, one man jumped forward, dashed up the steps into the office, and presented his statement. "Why are you here?" the rich man asked him. "Because you promised to cancel the debts of all those who would come as you instructed," the other replied. "And do you believe the promise?" "Yes, I do." "Why do you believe it?" persisted the employer. "Because, although it was too much for me to understand, I know that you are a good man who would not deceive anyone." The rich man took the bill and marked it "Paid in full," at which time the poor man, overcome, cried out, "I knew it! I told them so! They said it couldn't be true, and now I'm going out to show them." "Wait," said his benefactor, "it's not quite twelve o'clock. The others are not entitled to any special proof of my sincerity." When the clock struck twelve, the forgiven debtor ran out waving his receipt in the face of his fellows. With a mad rush they made for the door, but it was too late. The door was locked.

Cost of the Step of Faith
An old, low-caste woman in India was once asked the cost of a temple being built. She turned to the missionary in surprise and said, "Why, we do not know! It is for our god. We do not count the cost!" She could certainly have put many followers of Christ to shame. Before we take the step of faith we want to know the cost.

Look Over the Wall
Two men were discussing worry; one was blaming God because He didn't let us know what was going to happen. As they walked along, they came to a pasture where a cow was gazing dreamily over a stone wall. "Do you know why this cow has her head stretched over the wall?" asked one man. "No," said his friend. "I'll tell you. It's because she's not able to see through the stone wall. Imitate her. Quit banging the wall with your head. You won't break the wall down, but you will break your head. Stand tall, look over, and you'll be able to see farther on." It's the same lesson the Lord taught when He told people to look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, and consider who cares for them (Matthew 6:28). They have less cares than we who can think and reason, but God provides for them, and He will for us, too, if we trust Him.

God Governs the World
One night when an ambassador and his valet were obliged to sleep in the same room in a hotel, the valet noticed his master tossing and turning in bed. "Sir, what bothers you?" he asked. "Oh, I have so many things on my mind. The burden of my responsibility is hard to bear." "Forgive me, sir, but do you think God has been governing the world up till now?" "Of course." "And do you think He'll manage even after you've left this world?" "Undoubtedly." "Then don't you think it's possible for you to trust Him to do it even during your lifetime?" The ambassador got the point and was soon fast asleep.

Working Faith
Two gentlemen were crossing the river in a little boat. They began to argue about faith and works. The man who was rowing them across the river was a fine, enlightened Christian and on hearing their discussion he turned to them and said, "I believe I can solve your difficulty. I hold in my hands two oars. The one I call faith and the other works. Now watch it. I pull the oar of faith alone. You see, we can only go around and around; we cannot go forward. Now I pull the oar of works; again we move around and around. Now, see, I pull both of them together and on we go." Then the Christian ferryman added his conclusion, "In my opinion, a faith without works is dead, or works without faith will not suffice" (James 2:26).

Two Parts to the Gospel
An old country preacher used to say: "There are two parts to the Gospel. The first part is believing it, and the second part is behaving it." The hearer only is the one who is satisfied with just believing without behaving. That is what James describes as dead faith (James 2:17).

Saving Faith
Phillips Brooks defined faith by saying, "Faith means Forsaking All, I Take Him." Saving faith is leaving the spot where we are now standing and jumping into the arms of Jesus with full confidence that He is able to bear us up. It is like trying to swim. Swimming is work as we know. Before we can swim, we must believe that the water is able to bear us up; saving faith is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ first and then swimming in the great sea of His love and everlasting mercy. This is a faith that saves.

God Must Have You-You Must Have God!
A soldier being dealt with by a Christian worker put it very well when he said, "I see it now! God does not expect me to live His life without first giving me His nature." Faith which implants God's nature in the heart of man is a saving faith, and the faith which does not is not saving faith. Even if a man says he believes there is eternal salvation in Jesus Christ, this declaration will not save him, but going to Jesus Christ and losing himself in Him saves him. Faith which makes us run into the arms of Jesus saves; faith that makes us stand still does not save. Our works of faith emanate from a source of moral standards which we did not set up and which we cannot pull down, one that is ever above the laws of human fabrication.

Practical Faith
A minister tells how in his first parish a banker occasionally came to his church, and every time he came the minister happened to be preaching on faith. The banker said to him, "Why don't you preach on something other than faith? Why don't you preach on something practical?" A few days later there was a run on his bank, and the minister went down to see what was going on. He found the people demanding their money; they were alarmed and suspicious, and the banker was going up and down the line saying to these people, "Everything is all right. There is nothing wrong with the bank." The minister touched him on the shoulder and said, "What is the matter?" "Why," he said, "there is nothing wrong, but these people have lost faith in the bank." The minister replied, "Do you remember when you told me to preach on something more practical than faith?" "Oh, yes," he said, "I remember it very well, and I take it all back. After all, there is nothing so fundamental to the business interests and commercial life as faith."

Faith and Reason
An old writer says, "Faith and reason may be compared to two travelers: Faith is like a man in full health who can walk twenty or thirty miles at a time without suffering. Reason is like a child, who can only with difficulty accomplish three or four miles. On a given day Reason says to Faith, 'O good Faith, let me walk with thee.' Faith replies, 'O Reason, thou canst never walk with me!' However, to try their paces, they set out together, but they soon find it hard to keep company. When they come to a deep river, Reason says, 'I can never ford this,' but Faith wades through it singing. When they reach a lofty mountain, there is the same exclamation of despair; and in such cases, Faith, in order not to leave Reason behind, is obliged to carry him on his back; and, oh, how dependent upon Faith is Reason!" Why has God made faith the indispensable ingredient in man's approach to Him? Is it not precisely because man's reason can go only so far? Where reason comes up against an insurmountable obstacle, faith soars above it and apprehends God and heavenly mysteries by this divinely given faculty.

Trust Him Fully
An old Methodist preacher once offered this prayer in a meeting: "Lord, help us to trust Thee with our souls." Many voices responded with a hearty, old-fashioned "Amen!" "Lord, help us to trust Thee with our bodies," he continued. Again the response was a vociferous "Amen!" Then with still more warmth he said, "And, Lord, help us to trust Thee with our money." Not an "amen" was heard in the house, except that of an impoverished old lady.

Lessons in Faith
There was a devout Christian mother who was always teaching her daughter lessons of faith and trust, especially telling her that she need never be afraid at any time because God was always near. One summer evening she tucked her little girl in bed after her prayers, put out the light, and went downstairs. Then an electrical storm came rolling out of the west with vivid flashes of lightning and a reverberating roar of thunder. Suddenly there was a simultaneous blinding flash and a deafening crash, and when the echoes died away, the mother heard the little girl calling desperately, "Mama! Mama! Come and get me." The mother found her trembling, little girl in tears. After she had soothed her somewhat, she thought it might be an opportune time to teach a spiritual lesson, and said, "My little girl, has Mother not taught you many times that you need never be afraid, that God is always near, and nothing can harm you?" The little one put her arms around her mother's neck and said, "Yes, Mama. I know that God is always near, but when the lightning and the thunder are so awful, I want someone near me that's got skin on him."

One Day at a Time
Did you ever try to lift all the burdens of life at once? It is hard to bear yesterday's, today's, and sometimes tomorrow's burdens and temptations in one day. A doctor was once asked by a patient who had met with a serious accident, "Doctor, how long shall I have to lie here?" The answer, "Only a day at a time," taught the patient a precious lesson. It is the same lesson that you and I need-the day's portion in its day. Let us be faithful for one short day, and the long years will take care of themselves. That Is Faith
A skeptical physician said to his Christian patient, "I could never understand saving faith. I believe in God and I suppose I believe in Jesus Christ-I am not conscious of any doubts. I believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and I believe in the Bible, yet I am not saved, I do not feel God near me. What is the matter with me?" "Well," said the patient, "a week ago I believed in you as a very skillful physician. I believed that if I put myself in your hands I would recover from my illness. In other words, I trusted you. For a week now I have been taking some mysterious stuff out of a bottle. I don't know what it is; I don't understand it, but I am trusting in you. Now, whenever a person turns to the Lord Jesus Christ and says, 'Lord Jesus, Christianity seems to me to be full of mysteries. I do not understand them, but I believe Thou art trustworthy and I trust Thee; I commit myself to Thee,' that is faith. A very simple thing, isn't it?" The faith of the patient did not heal him; it was the remedy that healed him; but in faith he took the remedy.

Faith Tested by Trials
Have you ever seen a blacksmith work with a piece of iron? He holds it in the fire to soften it and make it pliable. That is exactly why God permits the testing of your faith by temptations and trials. He wants you to acquire patience, to acquire pliability. If you and I are constantly out of the fire of affliction, we become stiff and useless. God wants to reshape us according to His image, for in the fall of Adam we lost our divine shape, our divine image. A Test of Belief
Two boys stood at the edge of a frozen pond. One of them said to the other, "Billy, I believe it will bear our weight." "Do you?" asked the other. "Yes." "Then get on it." "No," said he, "I don't want to." "Then," said the other, "you don't believe it will bear you."

High in the King's Estimate
A poor but devout Frenchman came to his spiritual advisor and said with a sorrowing heart: "I profess faith in God, but at times, against my will, I'm overwhelmed with doubts as I try to live a Christian life in this world. Surely, God must be displeased with me as I struggle to overcome them." The clergyman answered with much kindness, "The King of France has two castles in different areas and sends a commander to each of them. The castle of Mantleberry stands in a place remote from danger, far inland; but the castle of La Rochelle is on the coast, where it is liable to continued sieges. Now which of the two commanders, do you think, stands highest in the estimate of the King-the commander of La Rochelle, or he of Mantleberry?" "Doubtless," said the poor man, "the King values him the most who has the hardest task, and braves the greatest dangers." "You are right," replied his advisor, "And now apply this matter to your case and mine."

Faith and Works
A bishop once told of two men, one of whom asked the other for a contribution for his church. The reply was that the church was always wanting money. The other friend said, "When my lad was a boy, he was costly; he always wanted boots and shoes, socks and clothes, and wore them out fast, and the older and stronger he grew the more money had to be spent on him. My son died and now does not cost me anything." A faith that descends from God is manifested toward men in acts of love and generous giving.

Proven Faith
A grocer was down in the cellar of his shop when he noticed his small son standing at the edge of the open trap door. He called up, "Here I am, Sonny, jump down." But the boy hesitated. "I can't, Daddy; I can't see you." Up came the answer, "No, but I can see you; trust me and jump, and I will catch you." At this point, the boy jumped because he trusted his father.

Count The Promises
Two little girls were counting their pennies. One said, "I have five pennies." The other said, "I have ten." "No," said the first little girl, "You have just five cents, the same as I." "But," the second child quickly replied, "my father said when he comes home tonight he would give me five cents, and so I have ten cents." Trustfully, she counted what her father had promised. That's exactly how a Christian can be poor in the estimation of the world and at the same time be rich. He counts as his whatever his Heavenly Father has.

Faith and Obedience
Ralph Erskine, that eminent Scotch divine of the seventeenth century, put the relation of faith and works in a most revealing way when he wrote, "True faith is never alone, but still joined with Gospel-obedience: 'As ye have received, so walk.' He that would separate faith from obedience endeavors to walk with one foot, which is impossible. Faith and works, faith and holiness, are the two feet by which a man walks in Christ; when the Spirit of Christ promotes the one, He promotes the other also. If a man should try to go upon one foot, he could not walk but only hop, which would be impossible for him to continue long. Neither can obedience be consistent without faith, and such consistency will be the measure of the Gospel-walk."

Spiritual Enamel
A preacher once visited a coal-mining district and noticed how very dingy the town appeared. The coal dust seemed to blacken the buildings, trees, shrubs, everything. But, as he was walking with the foreman, he noticed a beautiful white flower. Its petals were as pure as if it were blooming in a daisy field. "What care the owner of this plant must give it," said the preacher, "to keep it so free from dust and dirt!" "See here," said the foreman, and taking up a handful of coal dust, he threw it over the flower. It immediately fell off and left the flower as stainless as before. "It has an enamel coating." This reminds me of being clothed in the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22). The Last Request
A wounded soldier said to his comrades who were carrying him, "Put me down. Don't bother to carry me farther. I am dying." They did as he requested and returned to the scene of battle. A few minutes later, an officer saw the man weltering in his blood and said to him, "Can I do anything for you?" "Nothing, thank you." "Shall I get you a little water?" "No, thank you. I am dying." "Isn't there anything I can do for you?" persisted the kind-hearted officer. "Shall I write to your friends?"
"I have no friends that you can write to. But there is one thing for which I would be much obliged. In my pack you will find a Testament. Will you open it at the 14th chapter of John, and near the end of the chapter, you will find a verse that begins with 'Peace'. Will you read it to me?" The officer did so and read the words, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).
"Thank you, sir," said the dying man. "I have that peace; I am going to that Savior-God is with me-I want no more," and he was gone.

Understand with Your Heart
W. J. Dawson gives his testimony as follows: "Well do I remember how like a flash of light that verse of Romans 10:10 illumined my soul one day, when all was at its darkest for me. And then I saw what it all meant: that God did not ask me to believe with my intellect at all, but to trust Him with my heart. From that hour the world has brightened in me, for I know now that I have found God. Often and often now I cannot believe with the intellect, but I can with the heart." Does Your Faith Show?
Dr. J. M. Buckley, a Methodist preacher, was once asked to conduct what they used to call in those days an "experience meeting" at a church in the South. That was a meeting similar to a testimony meeting such as we sometimes have today. A woman arose and bore witness to the preciousness of her religion as light bringer and comfort giver. "That's good, sister!" commented Dr. Buckley. "But now about the practical side, the positive side. Does your religion make you strive to prepare your husband a good dinner? Does it make you look after him in every way?" Just then Dr. Buckley felt a yank at this coat tails by the host preacher, who whispered ardently, "Press those questions, doctor; press those questions. That's my wife!" Does our faith show by what we do for others?

Faith Healing by Works
When I become sick, I go to a certain doctor because I have faith in him and in his ability to make me well. What is the goal of placing my faith in the doctor?-my getting well. But is that faith enough?-no. I must also do all the things which the doctor asks me to do, take all the medicine, whether it is sweet or bitter. Just faith, abstract faith, will not reach its goal without my doing the things which the man in whom I place my faith asks me to do. As a result of that obedience I can reach the goal of my faith.

Two Kinds of People
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, that famous preacher of London, was a man with many responsibilities. He was going home after a difficult day, and his problems were so many that he was discouraged. While in this state of mind, however, he was reminded of a verse from the Word of God, "My grace is sufficient for thee." He looked up to God and said, "I believe it is sufficient for today, dear Lord." And then he burst into laughter. He understood how ridiculous it was to worry.
He began to think: "I'm like a fish that is very thirsty, who's beginning to worry lest it exhaust the water of the river. The big river answers, 'Drink, my little fish, all you want, there will be plenty for you.' " Again, Spurgeon said, "I thought that I was like a little mouse in the great big grain stores of Egypt after the seven year of abundance of harvest, and I was so fearful lest I would die of starvation. At that time Joseph appeared and said to me, 'Don't worry, little mouse, the wheat stores are sufficient for you.' And again I thought that I was someone on top of a mountain talking to himself and saying, 'I'm afraid I'm going to exhaust all the oxygen there is in the atmosphere.' But I heard the atmosphere saying to me, 'Do not be afraid, little man, you breathe all you want. Fill your lungs; there is enough oxygen for everybody.' " There are two kinds of people who are candidates for heaven. Those who have little faith and those who have much faith. Little faith will take our souls to heaven, but much faith will bring heaven to us. The important thing is for us to begin living in heaven now. In order for us to accomplish this we must stop the sighs produced by the various "ifs" of life and begin to face life as it is.