During every visit to Daystar University, our staff is overwhelmed by the wisdom and gratitude poured out by the scholarship students supported through our office. As each of the students share stories of their childhood, their financial hardships, and their seemingly impossible dreams, several themes standout. This blog series is inspired by these students who are now our teachers in the lessons of life, faith, and service.
Proverbs 2:10 – “Wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.”
Eyes of Faith
If the stories of our lives were like colored threads, they would weave in and out and cross many other threads along the way. Our lives do indeed weave in and out of others’ lives, often and in complex ways, creating a beautiful tapestry of design and purpose. While we see this when we hear the stories of Daystar scholarship students, we can’t forget that God is weaving his own design among donors in the United States as well.
Our lives weave in and out of others’ lives creating a beautiful tapestry.
It is amazing that the life of a nomadic, African boy connects with the life of a suburban, American, middle-aged woman. Even more amazing are the eyes of faith the boy needs to trust that money for his education will be provided by someone ten thousand miles away, across oceans and cultures and country borders. Still, dozens of Daystar scholarship students, year after year, have faith that God will “meet all of their needs” in the face of fear (Philippians 4:19). And many supporters respond with equal faith to trust God with their finances.
When the Israelites were nearing their Promised Land, God told Moses to send scouts into the land and report on what they saw. The scouts confirmed that the land did “flow with milk and honey…but the people who live there are powerful” and they were scared to face them (Numbers 13). Though the Israelites literally faced “giants,” they had the great and mighty strength of God on their side. They needed eyes of faith to see beyond their circumstances and trust that their God, though unseen, was bigger than the people they feared.
It takes eyes of faith, hard work, and often help from others for students to graduate from Daystar University.
In the same way, scholarship students face many difficult circumstances that make chances for education seem unlikely: becoming an orphan, life in violent slums, financial hardship, or lack of available work or food can easily seem overwhelming. However, when we talk to scholarship students we see that they have eyes of faith to trust that their great God will provide for them. And God simultaneously works wonders in the lives of American supporters as well. He is faithful to grow the faith of those who have been blessed in every way to be generous, trusting that God will take their donations and multiply their impact in Africa, just as he did with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Daystar scholarship students teach us how to exercise our eyes of faith to trust in God. What “giants” are you encountering this week? Here are some encouraging quotes to help you see them with eyes of faith:
“Just because something isn’t happening for you right now doesn’t mean it will never happen.” – Unknown
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie Ten Boom
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:14
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
This is the second post in our Lessons blog series. Click here to read the first post.