Because some religious people are put off with a brand of "name

it and claim" faith, many carry a prejudice against such, refusing

even to investigate Biblical stories of great faith. Such a story lies

hidden in Genesis 30.

After the Patriarch Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel, and after the

birth of many children, he asserts to his uncle and father-in-law that

it was time for him to make some money and strike out on his own.

Jacob develops a strategy by which Uncle Laban agreed to give Jacob all

stripped and spotted goats and all black lambs that were born into Laban's

herd. To give the herd a little help, Jacob places before mating goats

and sheep light and dark strips of tree bark Jacob's thinking was

that by the herd looking at the striped and spotted tree bark while mating,

the offspring would be similar.

Long story short: that's exactly what happened. The goats and lambs

that mated by looking at the contrasting colors of tree bark produced

spotted and speckled offspring that Jacob kept as his own. As a result,

the Bible says Jacob became exceedingly prosperous and had large flocks

(Genesis 30: 43).

However, we find out by reading the next chapter that what produced the

spotted and speckled offspring was not the colored tree bark, but Jacob's

faith in God's ability to alter the genes. God directed Jacob first

to see in his mind's eye the kind of herd he wanted. As Jacob believed,

so it was.

This is a tremendous story of faith. I encourage you to read the entire

account in Genesis 30 and 31. Genuine faith has great power to accomplish.

Mind you, no money exchanged hands. Just faith. The Bible tells us in

Hebrews 11 that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence

of things not seen.

The word "things" intrigues me. That's what you are hoping

for and struggling for: things. You want the thing of your marriage to

get healed.

You want the thing of your finances to be strengthened in your home.

You want and need some things to happen. You may even need the thing called

an automobile. You may need groceries. Yet, your resources are limited.

That's the wonderful nature of faith: it costs nothing and yet can

deliver everything.

Yet, what generally happens is this: the more "things" you

own and acquire, the less faith you have. The more assets you have, the

less you need to depend upon God and therefore the less you exercise your

faith. Am I right? The more affluent you are, it seems, the more you rely

on professional help than spiritual help.

What would happen if a great portion of the better-off in our community

would begin to seek God in prayer for that which they can derive no professional

help? There's no doctor or lawyer to whom we can turn for revival

in our country. No political party promises or can deliver a heightened

sense of spirituality in the land. Only God and only God's people

asking in faith.

Maybe your need is not the next meal or for a medical remedy. Maybe you

can afford just about anything you need. Why not invest your faith and

prayer in those areas money cannot solve and money cannot influence? Surely

in an affluent community such as Fayette, our rich and well-to-do can

find worthy needs to appeal to a Mighty God. I just can't believe

our prayers should be limited to "bless me and my four and no more,

and oh yes, get junior accepted in the Ivy League school."

People of affluence can also be people of great faith!

John Hatcher is pastor of Outreach International Center, 1091 South Jeff

Davis Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia 30215. 770-719-0303

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