“…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.” Matthew 17:20
Have you ever seen a mustard seed? It’s very small, only about 1-2 mm in diameter. If conditions are right, that tiny seed will grow into a huge bush that could be anywhere from 6-20 feet tall and 20 feet wide!. It will be large enough for birds to nest in its branches, and in addition to the seeds that are ground into mustard, it will yield a bounty of bright yellow flowers.
It was this little seed that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 17. For the longest time, I read this parable as a chastisement from the Lord, but lately I’ve seen His words in a different light. He did state that it would take only a small amount of faith to do great things, and He used the impossible task of moving a mountain to compare what we could do with a small amount of faith. Moving a mountain would require an enormous amount of effort, more than humanly possible, but He went on to say that just a small amount of faith could result in the greatest of difficulties being overcome.
God knew we would face huge trials in our lives, and these trials would surely test our faith. I know that when I have faced hard times in my past, it was so hard to hold on to what my heart knew was true. When I couldn’t see God working, I admit my faith wavered, but I still had a sliver of hope. When I cried until no more tears could come, when I saw no possible way for my prayers to be answered, when I felt utterly defeated, I could still cry out to God because I had the tiniest seed of faith that refused to die.
I learned that when times are hardest, and my faith is weakest, and I am only holding on to a tiny little thread of my faith, it can “move mountains.” I don’t have to have the faith of Daniel or Paul; I can have the smallest flicker of faith, and it can still do wonders through the power and grace of God!
As I nourish my faith with the richness of God’s Word, my faith, like the mustard plant, will grow more and more! The more my faith grows, the more trust I will have in God, and that will influence my prayer life, making it stronger also. Remember, prayer is not an exercise in futility. It’s the way we touch the heart of God. When God’s heart is touched, He moves, and when He moves, mountains crumble!
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul
It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul
(from “It Is Well With My Soul” by Horatio Spafford)
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10
**********
“Faith is not knowing God can, it’s knowing God will.”