Angus Buchan - Faith Like PotatoesPersonally, when I watched this movie during the recent YA movie night, God really encouraged me so much. Because, like Angus the farmer, I had chosen to quit my well-paying job as a software engineer in the middle of a recession to do a career switch. It sounds crazy and foolhardy even, but I had been sensing since the beginning of this year that God is calling me to move on from my current job, and to serve Him with this talent He's given me for writing.
‘Faith Like Potatoes’ is certainly one of the best faith-building books ever written. It targets people from all age groups, social groups, backgrounds and cultures. It has already been responsible for countless people committing their lives to the Lord, and those who have been Chr1istians for many years are challenged to increase their faith. It is the story of a humble farmer, our very own Angus Buchan. A story so dynamic and powerful that it has sold more than 25 000 copies todate and has just been updated and relaunched. Furthermore it has just been made into a big screen movie. This will be released in October.
What makes Angus’ story such an inspiration? Quite simply, it makes you consider your own life. It inspires you to be a better person, to believe more, to have unwavering faith in the power of God. Many readers have travelled from all over the world to Angus’ farm to meet him. One such a person, David Harper, a farmer from Worcestershire in England, read the book on a plane to Uganda. When he finished the book, he changed his flight home to stop over in Kwa-Zulu Natal to meet with Angus. He is now making the same massive impact in England among the farmers and has arranged various campaigns in Europe where Angus has preached.
The title ‘Faith Like Potatoes’ came from a famous American lecturer who used to tell his students that they needed faith like potatoes. He meant that their faith needed to have flesh and needed substance. As Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.” Angus Buchan not only had faith like potatoes, he had faith for potatoes as well.
Angus, not a university graduate, public speaker or celebrity, but a farmer, managed to gather a crowd of 35 000 people into a stadium in Durban one year to hear him speak and to join in prayer for rain. The El Nino drought of the late nineties had resulted in complete devastation for local farmers, coupled with that they were worn out from having to deal with violence on a daily basis. Farm murders had become common place and people were afraid for their lives. They were desperate and needed a miracle. Angus looked at the mix of black and white faces in the crowd, then uttered: “To hell with El Nino! We are going to plant this year! And we are going to plant potatoes.”
Scientists had warned the farmers not to plant that season unless they had irrigation and Angus knew very well that he didn’t have irrigation.Planting potatoes would be a massive risk. Traditionally he was a maize and cattle farmer.Nevertheless he prayed and prayed and He knew that the Lord wanted him to plant potatoes. He went back to his farm, hired two extra farms and planted potatoes in the dust. If the crop failed he would have lost everything that he had.
On the back of the first edition of ‘Faith like Potatoes’ is a quote that reads: “The condition for a miracle is difficulty, however the condition for a great miracle is not difficulty, but impossibility.”
Angus clearly expected a miracle. [READ MORE!]
What was really so exciting is that God has confirmed through circumstances, the Word, and through quite a number of people that, very, very clearly that He wants me to move on.
So I tendered my resignation. :)
And haha, I really sense God's affirmation and assurance strongly upon my heart as I watched this movie. 'Cos the farmer chose to foolishly plant water-intensive crops (after having received assurance from God, of course) in the middle of a devastating drought. So felt likewise that I had done something like that too. I don't know where in the world am I going to get a proper job in the scriptwriting industry. And the course I've applied for isn't even confirmed - AND I would need to pass an interview AND some writing tests before I can be accepted into the course.
So I had considered whether to stay a few more months in my job while waiting for confirmation of the course. But think God confirmed very clearly, and also put a very strong prompting in my heart too, that I mustn't waste any more time in this current job. I must obey Him and move out of my comfort zone ASAP.
It's thrilling. It's exciting. And... it's blessedly scary.
Hebrews 11:1-2,8-10"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for... By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."No regrets. No remorse. No return. This passage is something that keeps echoing and speaking to my heart very strongly. Can't get it out - it's like a earworm - only much sweeter. :)
Another thing I am feeling very excited and hopeful for. I think God might have given me the gift of healing. It's amazing, because I myself am a hearing-impaired person, and have been prayed for for many times... and to be honest, I struggle with faith for my own healing, after so many years of not having been healed yet.
Yet, I realised that whenever I pray for others' healing, somehow God touches them in such a way that their healing gets accelerated so much faster! For my own dad's bad back and burns to the hands... God healed them all in such a fast period, and for my maid's headache last time, and for my mum's health... for a brother's strained shoulder and so on.
I'm amazed. I myself need a miracle, and yet it seems that God wants to use even someone like me - a walking "unanswered prayer" - to pray for others' healings. It's strange but wonderful. And that is just how great our God indeed is. For His ways are not our ways, neither His thoughts our thoughts. Wonderful!
Yes, dear brothers and sisters, really want to encourage you to have faith in our great God. Remember, it is not the size of your faith that matters, but the size of the One in whom you place your faith!
4 comments:
hello! this is exciting news! :) update us when you have updates eh:)
Hey Denise! Thanks a lot! :) sure, will update you haha
Yeu Ann, my hand which you prayed for is also healed . It's quite amazing. It was as if God twisted my hand to heal it. For there was an intermediate stage where my thumb keeps getting locked into a position. After that stage, the old familiar pain and the locking pain were gone! :)
Wow! :D Really? Praise God! Thanks Shuyi for sharing this with me, sis! Haha... remember to rest your hand ok? =) and yeah, you can also try praying for others too...
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