One of the characteristics of 'statesmen/women' over other leaders is that they usually hold a minority opinion about something very important, and have to wait until the tribes catch up. They are strong enough to be comfortable in the minority: if they believe their position is right, they'll stick to it, albeit showing patience and love to others who don't yet see reality their way. There's nothing much worse than the 'idolatry of the majority'.

Gathering information by itself isn't important it's what you do with it that matters. Sometimes research can be an escape from doing anything. The Americans during several presidencies kept researching the problem of acid rain that's killed 400 Canadian lakes and rivers to stall and do nothing.

Where you stand determines what you see. Only half the facts will lead you to the wrong conclusion. Instead of comparing the giants with themselves they should have compared them to God. The unbelief equation is simply 'facts without faith equals despair'.

When I have all the information I need about something, remind me, Lord, that facts need faith to be transformed into success. Amen.

FAITH AND DISCOURAGEMENT

The testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:3,4.

Caleb refused to be discouraged. As a result of his faithfulness in bringing back a positive report Moses promised him a mountainous area near Hebron. Because of the negative recommendation of the other ten spies Caleb with all the others was sentenced to 'forty years hard labour' in the desert. But there was no hint that he was discouraged by that. He could have thrown up his hands in angry despair and adopted a 'What's the use, with this mob?' or 'I told you so' attitude, particularly when people started dropping dead all around him.

But all the great leaders in the Bible had their spirituality and leadership skills honed in deserts (or, if not deserts, prisons). Neither Caleb nor we are exempt from that rule. Every leader has to find a desert somewhere for retreat and reflection and renewal.

And each of us gets disappointed in other people from time to time: they don't live up to our expectations. Winston Churchill's second most famous speech was also his briefest: 'Boys, never, ever, ever, ever, give up!'

I ask Lord, for some of this toughness, even in the worst adversities. Amen.

FAITH DOESN'T MEAN HAVING ALL THE ANSWERS

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1.

Faith - with hope and love - are the keys to knowing God.

There are two kinds of faith: fides, faith or belief that, and fiducia, faith in. Both kinds of faith are gifts from God, available to everyone (Ephesians 6:23, 2:8,9). Belief about God is necessary before we can have faith in him. So God graciously reveals himself to us in nature, history, the prophets, the redeemed community, and supremely in Jesus. When we read the Bible or hear the preacher and become convinced in our minds that this God is worth entrusting one's life to, we make the big commitment and hand over our lives to him: this time with our hearts, our wills, our whole being.

Then we begin to nurture and exercise our faith to make it grow. The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:5). Jesus said 'Everything is possible to the one who has faith' (Mark 9:23). What we need is not so much great faith in God but faith in a great God! You don't have to have all the answers (like you don't have to know all about electricity before you switch on the light).

Lord, I believe! Help me overcome my unbelief! Amen.

FAITH AND REASON

This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. Jeremiah 7:1-4.

Faith is trusting the Lord, even when we sometimes don't understand his ways.

But faith doesn't mean switching off your reason. In 18th century Europe many churches had to make a fearful decision: should they instal lightning rods? Some said no, and attempted to appease the Almighty by ringing the church bells during thunderstorms (and twelve German bell-ringers died in a 33 year period). The congregation of the church of San Nazaro in Brescia, Italy, not only rejected the protection of lightning rods but also had sufficient faith in the sanctity of their church to store 100 tons of gunpowder in its vaults. In 1767 lightning struck the church and ignited the gunpowder, causing an explosion which destroyed one-sixth of the city and killed 3000 people. (Snake-handlers in rural America have died for similar silliness!)

Jeremiah told the Jews not to believe they were safe simply because 'this is the Lord's Temple.' But as our faith grows, and we know the God in whom we trust is loving, and utterly faithful, we sometimes have to trust him when our 'reason' can't supply all the answers.

Lord, sometimes faith in you is puzzling when you haven't supplied me with all the information. But I believe you have told me enough about yourself, and your trustworthiness: any more would either be confusing, or else I wouldn't need faith at all. Amen.

HOW DOES FAITH GROW?

How does faith grow? A step at a time. Today and tomorrow we'll study the features those with a strong faith have in common:

* Their faith grew because they believed that God is always available, loves us, and desires the best for us. So their faith is in a God who believes in us, as well as our believing in him!

* They fed their faith, reading and rereading Jesus' teaching and the Bible's faith-stories: if God did it for them, he'll do it for me!

* They used the faith they had, not the faith they didn't have. In Luke 17 Jesus says we should forgive someone who sins against us seven times in one day! The disciples ask reasonably enough we might think - for more faith to do this. Jesus responded, 'What you need isn't more faith, but using the faith you already have!' To grow stronger, you don't need a muscle transplant, but to exercise the muscles you have! Trust and obey says the old hymn - and it's still true.

* They think of possibilities. Augustine said sin has four stages: a thought, a form, a fascination, a fall. Faith, too, begins with thinking. So they 'image' possibilities. 'All things are possible to the one who believes'. They link their faith to a vision.

Lord, increase my faith, may it grow stronger and stronger. Amen.

ONE MORE TIME: HOW DOES FAITH GROW?

Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. Hebrews 11:2.

Here are some more qualities of those who 'live by faith':

* They verbalize this commitment to a dream they talk to themselves! They repeat faith-formulas in their prayer and to themselves: 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me' (Philippians 4:13). 'Perfect love casts out fear' (1 John 4:18).

* But they aren't off-theplanet idealists: they analyze situations; they research the whole thing; they get all the facts together; they find a need and fill it; they become consumed with this vision; they organize and plan to reach their God-inspired destiny.

* Once they've used their minds in all these ways, they are prepared to take risks. The story of Abraham, leaving his secure home and country to ride off into the west appeals to them greatly!

* They follow Paul's advice in Philippians 4:8: 'Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honourable... keep on thinking about these things.' Just as a clean engine gives more power, so a clean life is more in tune with the infinitely powerful God. And they fed their faith with discipline and hard work. With God's help you can do it!

So, Lord, here I am: you and I are going to make it together! Amen.

FAITH, HOPE AND OPTIMISM

See, the Lord your God has given the land to you; go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you; do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 1:21.

Unfortunately for many, 'the faith' is a body of beliefs they affirm in the creed - 'faith about' God but not yet faith in him. The church is thus a social club with a religious flavour. It is very dangerous when such a church elects uncommitted people to high office. A church that's alive will be stretching their people's faith all the time.

The pastor of a dynamic church in England was preaching about the wonderful opportunities all around their parish. His text: Deuteronomy 1:19 ff. To press his point he gave out 800 seedless grapes to the people (seedless in deference to the caretaker!). 'God is leading us!' he preached that day. 'Men and women of faith - lead, conquer, win - take these grapes to others!'

Now fides faith includes an ingredient of optimism, but biblical faith is more than optimism. So is the biblical idea of hope. The New Testament talks about the 'patience of hope'. Christian hope is deep; mere optimism may be shallow.

Deliver me, Lord, from a futile optimism, and increase my commitment to faith and hope. Thank you. Amen.

THE GOD OF HOPE

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13.

Hope is a primal human need. Victor Frankl was shipped off with his fellow Jews to a concentration camp. Then began the awesome task of survival. With his trained psychiatric eye he noted that many prisoners simply crumpled under the pressure and eventually died. But some didn't, and Frankl made it his mission to discover their secret. Without exception, those who survived had something to live for. One man had a retarded child back home he wanted to care for. Another was deeply in love with a girl he wanted to marry. Frankl himself aspired to be a writer, and was in the middle of his first manuscript when he was arrested.

Frankl did survive, and has contributed greatly to our understanding of the human 'will to meaning'. His simple question: 'If the presence of purpose or meaning gives one the strength to carry on, how do we human beings get in touch with it?'

In one word, the secret is what the Bible calls 'hope'. Humans are 'hopeful beings'. Hope means God is with us in trouble and in triumph. Resurrection hope means God is with us in life and death. Hope means the God who was with his people in the past will be with them always.

Please, Lord, keep me committed to the hope that you are with me as you were with your people in the past - and will be with me forever. Amen.

AGAIN: HOPE AND OPTIMISM ARE NOT THE SAME!

May the God of hope fill you with... joy and peace. Romans 15:13.

Where there's hope there's life. Hope is not conditional upon trouble being removed. Optimism may be a good natural trait - and have no religious connections at all. 'Hope', says John Macquarrie is his little book The Humility of God, 'is humble, trustful, vulnerable. Optimism is arrogant, brash, complacent... Our hope is not that in spite of everything we do, all will turn out for the best. Our hope is rather that God is with us and ahead of us, opening a way in which we can responsibly follow.'

Once when Martin Luther was feeling depressed, his wife asked if he'd heard God had died. Luther replied angrily that she was blaspheming. She retorted that if God had indeed not died what right had he to be despondent and without hope!

Hope, according to Martin Buber, is 'imagining the real'. It is not fantasy or wishful thinking - like Mr. Micawber's 'hoping that something will turn up'. It's not 'she'll be right mate'! Hope deals with imagining possibilities, then having the faith to work hard to see those possibilities realized.

My hope is in you, Lord. Amen.

FAITH AND HOPE NEED ENERGY AND SELF-DISCIPLINE

Through faith [they] conquered kingdoms... Hebrews 11:33.

'Faith' and 'hope' don't mean expecting God to do for you what you can do for yourself. As we said before, Caleb could have adopted the attitude 'Now I'm 85 I've earned the right to take it easy. I know Moses offered me that mountain country around Hebron, but how about switching to 'Plan B' a nice fertile valley that's already been conquered so I can settle down?'

Caleb fought a great battle with the 'sons of Anak'. The story is described simply in a few verses in Joshua 15. Now I'm not suggesting you do this to people who oppose your goals: the kind of militarism that pervades the Old Testament must be viewed now through the prism of the perfect revelation we have in the 'prince of peace', Jesus Christ.

Caleb was no fool, not blind or stupid. Fighting giants in mountain country is difficult. Fighting ordinarysized people in mountain country is difficult when they don't want you invading their territory - ask the Americans about Vietnam, or the Russians about Afghanistan!

But with God giants are vulnerable. In the story of Caleb you have in contrast the fear of people who look at difficulties, and the faith of those who look to the Lord.

God of faith-heroes, I want to be in their number! Amen.