What Is Faith: Asking For Money

A few weeks ago, I started a series of posts based on a fledgling desire to remember faith in a world so often marked by self-promotion and calculated planning.

As part of this series, I invited readers to pick up a simple, cheap (less than $2.00) out-of-print book and learn from the life and faith of noted “hero of faith” who lived more than 100 years before us: D.L. Moody.

I’m continuing to read and search for good learning about what faith looks like on a person. And when I ask myself this question–“What does faith look like?”–as I read, the answer is often just one word.

Different.

Faith looks different. In one circumstance, where a rallying call is needed, faith often–in Moody’s case–looked like a mysterious sense of supernatural confidence.

While other times, Moody wore his faith like a grieving prophet ruled by deep emotion he could not contain.

Moody once asked the wealthy combine-inventor for one thousand dollars to benefit the mission he ran for children in need. Suffice to say, one thousand dollars is a good chunk of money today, but in the 1860s, it was more like $14,000 according to the Consumer Price Index.

McCormick’s verbal reaction to such an ask was like many of ours would’ve been: he felt cornered.

He’d just given Moody money not long before that and one thousand dollars seemed to be too bold of an ask. Nevertheless, McCormick went upstairs to his study to get his checkbook and pacify Moody with some sort of contribution.

Moody, however, was on a completely different page. He too agreed that one thousand dollars may have been the wrong ask. As soon as McCormick left the room, in fact, Moody realized his terrible mistake in naming that number.

It was far too low.

To make up for his lack of faith, Moody immediately dropped to his knees and asked God for not one, but two thousand dollars.

It is said that when McCormick returned with a sealed envelope bearing a check, that Moody was so confident about its contents that he took it back to a local pastor–unopened–and announced it contained a check for two thousand dollars.

Sure enough, it did.

When McCormick was later asked why he had doubled the amount Moody requested, he said that as soon as he printed the letters D.L. Moody onto the check, he was immediately overwhelmed by how noble Mr.Moody’s work was, and decided to give more than asked.

How about you? Have you ever felt a surge of boldness? Can you relate to asking or receiving some sort of striking blessing? Or do you want more of this boldness in your life? I’d love to hear your comments. Just click on the comment link by the title of this post to leave a note.