Can You Move Mountains?
“He replied, “Because you have so little 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 NIV
I doubted writing about the mustard seed. It is a famous scripture posted on many t-shirts and coffee mugs. But the tugging on my heart was persistent so here we are! There is a big truth behind this scripture that t-shirts and coffee mugs could potentially make us miss. Mostly because we may tend to think about…well… us.
In this parable Jesus is trying to teach His disciples about something bigger than themselves. They couldn’t cast out the demon because they assumed their strength was a result of their new faith in Jesus; almost like magic. But His power isn’t dependent on our faith; whether it’s the size of a tiny mustard seed or the size of a giant sequoia. Jesus wanted to teach them about the true power source. Our God is all powerful and He never changes. The power of God (not us!) is available to those with even ‘small’ faith.
But that doesn’t mean we also can’t nurture and cultivate our living faith. When I was teaching 6th grade math one of my favorite projects to teach ratios was “If You Were As Tall As…” The students would research how fast an elephant or a cheetah for example grew from birth to adulthood and then they applied that same ratio to themselves. Then they had to draw what they’d look like! It was so much fun. So think about this tiny mustard seed. It is the smallest of seeds and yet in about 85 to 90 days under ideal conditions a mustard plant can reach nearly 20 feet! What if your faith could grow at this rate?
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” 2 Peter 3:18 How do we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord? You start by reading God’s word. Everything we need for our life is written in the Bible. And when we spend time reading and resting in God’s presence that tiny little seed will start to grow.
This spiritual growth is for us to become more fully aware of who God is and who we are as His daughter. It’s a process of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. This growth helps you weather the storms of life with a steadier sail. It helps you keep your eyes focused on the power source, our God. And as you grow you have the ability to influence others; more seeds get planted. God’s kingdom grows.
But even though we are growing in our faith God’s truth still stands on the mustard seed as it is written. The size of our faith doesn’t equal the size of God’s power. His power can move through the newest Christian (the tiniest seed) or one that has been cultivating and growing for many many years (the tall sequoia). The power of Christ is not measured by “us” at all. With just a mature faith or even just a little faith mountains can move, the sick can be healed, and the lost can be saved.
Happy Friday!
Love Heather & Lisa
#smallbeginnings#GodNeverChanges#mustardseedfaith#keepgrowing
