Faith is Counterfactural History: How Close Are You To Realizing God's Promises?

In the book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill tells the story of R.U. Darby's uncle who left his home in Williamsburg, Maryland and ventured West during the Gold Rush to seek his fortune. After staking a claim in the mountains of Colorado, he started his digging, chipping away into the mountainside for weeks on end with a pick and shovel. His labor finally paid off when he stuck gold.

Taking a sample of his find, he covered up the mine and returned back to Willimasburg. Using his sample of gold to prove to family and friends that his strike was real, he secured enough investors to purchase the machinery necessary to to dig the mine and surface the ore.

After having the machinery shipped, he returned to the mine and started to work the mine. As the gold ore began pouring out of the ground by the cart full, it became evident that Darby's mine had the potential to be one of the richest gold veins in Colorado.

The drilling continued. The machinery was expensive. The mine still needed to pass the breakeven point before the dreamt-of profits could start rolling in.

As the mine was within a few carts of paying off the machinery, the unthinkable happened. The mine went dry. The drills hit solid dirt, and, as Darby and his crew drilled desperately on, it became evident that they'd reached the end of the gold vein.

Dispirited, Darby called it quits and sold his machinery, hoping to at least break even on his failed venture. The purchaser of the equipment had more faith. Although to the naked eye, the mine was empty. There was nothing there except worthless dirt. By analyzing the terrain, assessing the situation, he tried a different approach, shifting the drilling by just a few feet--and ended up striking a rich vein of gold! The original vein discovered by Darby had been broken by a simple fault line--a natural movement of the earth.

What if Darby had never called it quits? What if Darby had faith in what he did not see and if he'd just persisted with a different approach?

Counterfactual history theory asks 'what if' questions. What if the Soviets had never stopped Hitler at Leningrad? What if the U.S. had surrendered the South Pacific to the Japanese after Pearl Harbor? What if Edison had quit after his 999th attempt at inventing the light bulb? 

We can look in the Bible and ask the same what if questions. What if the Israelites had stopped circling Jericho on the sixth day? What if Elijah had stopped praying for rain after the sixth request? What if Joseph had become discouraged and joined a gang of reprobates in jail rather than continuing to serve God faithfully? Or what if Jesus and run away all the way back to Nazareth at the first drop of blood-sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane?

The basic premise of all of God's promises seems to be counter intuitive. What we see often is counter to what we are hearing God promising us. What in your life does not seem to be going your way? What are you hoping and dreaming for that evidence of what you see is telling you different? Faith is living in counterfactual history. Hebrews 11:6 says "...without faith it is impossible to please God" (NIV).  How far are you from striking the gold? One more prayer? One more little chip of the dirt? One more extra effort?

Keep trusting God. Today just may be the day to tap that vein into the promises He has in store for you.

If you would like to comment or share your faith story with me, please feel free to write me at hgammagewrites@outlook.com