Matthew 17:20-21 - So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Three of the disciples had just witnessed one of the most supernatural experiences yet in Jesus’ life. They had watched as Jesus visited with His father …the presence of God so powerful that Jesus shone from head to toe. They had even heard God speak to His son….telling Him how proud and pleased he was in the fulfilling the job He had come to do. But the disciples left behind had been trying to cast out a demon….and had been unsuccessful.
Jesus counseled them later in private about their need for more faith. Then He added that fasting and prayer would give them all the power they needed for the hardest tasks. Jesus wasn’t talking about the faith we have in the mail delivery every day…or the trash to be picked up once a week. Jesus was talking about the kind of faith that allows us to live through the worst of human tragedies and still believe that God is with us through it all. Faith is the beginning of the deepest relationship we can have with the trinity…just a small amount helps us tap into the power of God…Jesus…and the Holy Spirit.
I admit that needed to hear Jesus’ words to the men who lived with Him 24/7. My flesh is as weak and human as the next Christian follower….I struggle to get out of bed so early some mornings to have my chat with God. I struggle with the purpose behind my storms in life more than I accept them at face value and trust that God’s plan is better for me than what envisioned. I struggle to increase my faith instead of be satisfied with the tiny bit that keeps me from falling apart some days.
Father…thank you for the reminder that I need more faith. Forgive me for the mountains that I have ignored or walked past that need moving. Help me to increase the faith I need to move them out of the way ….so that I can show your love more intensely. Amen.
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