April 06th, 2017

     Mountain Moving Faith (Matthew 17:19-20)
 
Matthew 17:19-20, “Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
 
Because we live in a demanding word, all of us have mountains to climb and mountains to move. Moving those mountains requires faith. Are you a mountain mover whose faith is evident for all to see? God needs more men and women who are willing to move mountains for His glory and for His kingdom.
 
The disciples were very wise in seeking the Lord concerning their confusion.  The root cause was deficiency of faith. Without it we will not go very far spiritually. Though faith is the simplest exercise of the spiritual life, it is also the highest. The spirit must yield itself in perfect accessibility to God’s Spirit and become strengthened for this activity. Such faith depends entirely on the state of the spiritual life.  Only when this is strong and in good health—when the Spirit of God has total influence in our lives—does faith have the power to do its mighty deeds.
 
What does Christ mean by "faith as a grain of mustard seed"? The mustard seed was known for its small size, the smallest of all plants, yet according to Matthew 13:32, it grew to be one of the largest bushes. Picture a mustard seed lying in a person's hand. It is real and it is small. Just imagine the potential for growth and use. So it is with faith: faith is "as a grain of mustard seed." It is real and small, yet it has enormous power for growth and use and for ministry. A mountain can represent any problem, or difficulty, in the life of faith of the believer.
 
Our Lord used this occasion to teach an even greater truth. The reason for the impotency of the disciples was their lack of faith. He went on to describe that if they had faith as small as a mustard seed they could do anything. It is not faith which moves mountains. Rather, it is God who moves mountains. However, God is motivated to act as we trust Him. When God gets into the picture nothing is impossible.
 

• Am I fully aware of all the power I am offered through faith in Jesus Christ?
• What does this tell me about my faith? What do I need to change?
• Are you facing any mountains right now in your life of faith as a believer?
• Pray in faith and the Lord will show you how to deal with the mountain problem.
• He will not necessarily remove the problem, but He will show you how to handle it.
• His grace and guidance will sustain you and your faith can even be strengthened.

 
 
Prayer, Father in Heaven, I am so grateful for how You grow me in my faith. Though there are circumstances I would not have the courage to choose, they do their work in me and that grows my faith in You. Thank you for everything that teaches me to know You in a fuller, richer relationship. I ask You to mature me in faith so that, through You, nothing will be impossible. Help me to trust You regardless of my circumstance, simply trusting You for who You are. In Jesus’ name, Amen.