When Your Faith Wavers, Just Think Of The 92 Bananas

“I learned in those days that there’s a peace that cometh after sorrow of hope surrendered, not of hope fulfilled. A peace that looketh not upon tomorrow but calmly on a tempest that is stilled.”

Darlene Deibler Rose

Not too long ago, I was struggling with doubt, wondering if and how God would move the mountains in my life. After praying and talking to Jesus about it, I called my girlfriend, Julie. Even though Julie was trying everything to encourage me, the dark cloud that was over me just would not lift. Then she said something that as soon as she said it, it was as if cold water had just been poured over me. I immediately felt faith rise up and the heaviness lift off of me. What she said highlighted the reality of Who God is-exactly what I needed to be reminded of.

She said “just think of the ninety-two bananas.”

You must be wondering what in the world am I talking about. Let me explain…Julie and I had recently listened to a powerful testimony of a young woman named Darlene Rose. Darlene survived four years as a Japanese POW during WWII. Despite her impossible circumstances, Darlene’s faith never wavered, and she continued to claim Job 13:15 as her own. “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” I highly suggest you listen to all 3 parts of this broadcast. You can listen to it by clicking here.

“They could lock me in that cell but they could not lock my Lord out.” ~ Darlene Rose

Although her entire testimony is impressive, there is one part of her story that touched my heart deeply. This dear woman suffered severely, and yet she never gave up hope in her God. She was authentic with Him and wrestled with Him at times, but her faith did not falter.

Despite her horrific circumstances, she still trusted in God’s love for her.

I also wept at the faithfulness of the Lord. He is the God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). He delights in His children, and just because we go through hardships, His love for us never changes.

Despite your circumstances, doubts and fears, always put your hope in the Lord’s love for you.

Here is the piece of Darlene Rose’s testimony that I am talking about. Her testimony has elevated my faith. My prayer is it will encourage yours as well.

If you prefer you can listen to it. Please note-I have set apart and bolded parts for emphasis.

“And one day, I had climbed up because I was having an attack of malaria, and I
got up to the transom above the door and I was hanging on there and I had one
foot on the doorknob and the other foot over on the windowsill, and I was
hanging there and I was trying to get air on my face because of the terrible fever
from the malaria. And I saw, I could see the courtyard there. There was an
overhang of the roof so nobody could see me, but I could see them. And I was
so fascinated to see other women, and most of them were native women there
just for minor misdemeanors and they were allowed to walk around that
courtyard in the afternoon.
And I saw this one woman and she was edging off toward the fence that was at
one end of the courtyard. It was covered with Honolulu creeper, and through
that Honolulu creeper came a hand, and on that hand was a big bunch of
bananas. And seeing those bananas, oh, I wanted anything to eat. I could smell
those bananas. I could remember the taste of bananas. Oh, I wanted a banana.
It was like a physical hurt within me. And I got right down off that door and I got
on my knees and I said,

“Lord, I’m not asking you for a whole bunch of bananas
like she has. Could I have just one banana, Lord?”

And then I did what? Maybe some of you do it too. I think most of us do. I tried
to figure out how God could get a banana into that prison for me. And I said,
“Now, Lord. Now there’s these two men that have been trying me and neither
one of those men would ever bring me a banana, I know that. Then, Lord, there
is this other guard and he wouldn’t give me one. And there’s this older man
that’s been coming here in the evenings to do guard duty. I think he might if he
knew I wanted a banana, but I wouldn’t ask him for a banana because if they
ever caught him giving a banana to me, he might be shot.” I said, “Lord, that’s it.
There’s nobody else around here.” And I said, “Please, Lord, don’t think that I
am not grateful for this rice porridge. I really am. And I’m sorry if I ask for a
banana and you can’t get a banana in here to me.”

And I really didn’t see how
God could ever get a banana in there.

And then I heard the guard coming and I knew he was coming for me, and I
stood up and I said, “Lord, I need strength to walk to that hearing room.” But
when the door went open, the guard walked in and he just laid them all out on
the floor. Do you know what they were?

Bananas.
I sat down and I counted
them. There were 92 bananas.

I don’t know what you would’ve done, but I
pushed those up in the corner just as far from me as I could get them, and that
wasn’t very far because I don’t have much character. And I said, “Lord, I have no
right to eat those bananas.” I said, “Yesterday, I was telling you there was no
way in the world you could even get one banana into me.”

And so sweetly, He came and He said, “Oh, that’s what I delight to do, the
exceeding abundant, above anything you ask or think.”

Darlene Rose

I especially love how Darlene asked God “Could I have just one banana, Lord?“ and then she said, “And I really didn’t see how God could ever get a banana in there.” I so relate with her. Don’t you? We do that constantly, don’t we? We often act like prisoners (which Darlene really was), but in God’s eyes we are His sons and daughters. We are His Heirs. Romans 8:17 tells us,”And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory…” This means He delights in you and desires to bless you. He will never abandon you but will be faithful to you you all the days of your life.

This doesn’t mean we won’t go through hard times. We will face trials. It’s part of living in a broken world. However, as Darlene has lived out, we will never be alone. God will be with us every day of our life. He is always near. Our God is a God who will never leaves us (Luke 13:5).

After having heard Darlene’s story, Julie and I have started to say the phrase “just think of the ninety two bananas” to encourage one another’s faith. The other day Julie sent me a picture of bananas in a grocery store (see picture above). I giggled when I saw it, but it’s a beautiful visual to have. Darlene Rose’s testimony is a sweet reminder of the power of God’s love for us.

May you too “just think of the ninety-two bananas” when your faith wavers.

In my blog post “What Does Radical Faith Look Like,” I wrote, “We serve a big God for whom nothing is too hard (Jeremiah 32:17), so don’t be timid to pray big prayers.” I encourage you (and myself) to think about Darlene’s testimony of the 92 bananas. She said “I really didn’t see how God could ever get a banana in there.” We often cannot imagine how God will bring a breakthrough for us. But we don’t have to try and imagine it. That’s not our burden to carry. It’s the Lord’s concern. We only just need to know His character and that He is the God of the impossible (Luke 1:37).

He gives exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond what we ask or hope for. The Passion Translation says it so beautifully in Ephesians 3:20 “Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.“

If you ever start to lose hope and your faith wavers, think about Darlene Rose’s testimony. The God she served is the same God you and I serve. He hasn’t changed and He never will (Hebrews 13:8). When you are weary, wrestling with doubt, put your hope in the God who does miracles. He brought Darlene Rose, not one, but ninety-two bananas when it seemed completely impossible. He is a powerful God that adores His children. Let us adore Him too. One way we can do this is to trust in His love for us. May we trust Him with every detail of our lives.

“But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!””~ Psalm 31:14