Faith was foundational to Churchill internal fortitude when all external signs pointed to disaster. Churchill referred often to Providence, as he did in a February 1941 broadcast appeal to the United States: “Put your confidence in us. Give us your faith and your blessing, and, under Providence, all will be well. We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.”

Churchill firmly believed that he would fulfill the destiny he had foreseen in 1891 at the age of 16 and that Providence would protect and preserve him for his life’s mission. Churchill did not regard Providence as an impersonal force; he saw it as the guiding hand of God.

In his very first speech as prime minister, Churchill said that the policy of his new government would be to wage war against Hitler “with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us.”  Speaking on Trinity Sunday 1940 about the eventual outcome of the war, Churchill quoted from the Bible and concluded, “As the Will of God is in Heaven, even so let it be.”

What we see here is a leader who trusted that God will show up in every situation no matter what. You could be going through a difficult situation and you probably feel lost or confused. You too can trust that God is going to come to your situation. If you are lost in the woods, faith is your imminent rescue. Faith is a decision made without basis. Faith contrasts one man from another because it forgoes other possibilities.