If You Have Faith...

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20-21

My wife and I had a great discussion over this passage a couple of days ago and we both are still searching our hearts and the Scriptures to fully understand what Jesus was truly saying in this passage. If you are not familiar with this passage, here is a quick synopsis...A man comes to Jesus and ask Him to have mercy on his son who suffers the effects of being demon possessed. Jesus steps up, rebukes the demon and the demon comes out of the boy and the boy is immediately healed. The passage goes on to say that the disciples took Jesus privately and asked why couldn't we drive the demon out? Jesus' answer was simple, you lacked faith.

At first glance and first read it is a pretty simple passage, but if you stop and examine it and allow the Spirit of God to illuminate the power of this text, you may be surprised to what Jesus may show you. I have recently been convicted of my own lack of faith. I have been confronted with the fact that at times I can go through all the right and proper Christian disciplines and still lack the faith that truly declares that there IS a God in heaven who is mighty, glorious and is more than sufficient to meet me where I am. I am not exactly sure what the disciples did to try to cast this specific demon out, but one thing the text is very clear on is that Jesus said they lacked faith. I have been asking myself this simple question...where is my faith? I think at times my faith has rested in me and what I could do, I know that is a sad commentary, but it is true.

Jesus in this passage says that our faith in who He is what can move the mountain. I think I fall into the trap of trying to move the mountain on my own. What is encouraging is that Jesus states that faith as small as a mustard seed, not as large as a tree, or elephant, but even the smallest, sincerest and deepest amount of faith can yield great fruit. I guess my question to you, if by some chance you've stumbled across this rambling is, what mountain are you currently facing? Do you believe that God is who He says He is? If you do, then ask Him to move it? I can tell you that right now I am asking God to change my perspective of the mountains in my life. I am asking Him to cause my heart to see it from His view and His power, because I know when that happens these mountains that currently stand in my path will begin to look like ant hills. I'm not saying that I am fully there yet, but I believe God is causing my heart to make the proper strides. I am continuously asking God to increase my faith, who knows maybemy faith will one day GROW to the size of a mustard seed...a humbling thought.