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Friday, May 15, 2009

Faith to Move Mountains

A man brings his son to Jesus' disciples to have the demon who possessed him purged. They could not. Evidently they had been able to cast out some demons because after Jesus cast out the demon they asked why they had failed. Jesus told them it was because they lacked faith.

He said that faith could move mountains. A mountain is a metaphor for any seemingly insurmountable problem. Of course, it would apply if a physical mountain became a problem.

What are we doing as Christians if we don't have faith? Are we gathering in a large room to deceive ourselves each Sunday? Are we acting like Santa Claus is real while personally knowing that he doesn't really exist? The Book of James would tell us that we should expect nothing from God without faith. I believe a lot of Christians are getting a lot of nothing.

Christians have problems too. We lose our jobs, are involved in car wrecks and get diseases just like anyone. We are not bulletproof. However, we should have the faith to believe that nothing that comes into our lives can be greater than God. We should have the faith to see that God will take our hardship or tragedy and do something good with it. We should have the faith to know that there is an ultimate plan. We should have the faith to approach the throne room of God and receive an answer from God. We should have the faith to know that He loves us through the tough times. We should have the faith to believe and see our mountains removed.

Hebrews tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith. How much faith? Jesus said a faith small as a mustard seed. The mustard seed is very small but it will grow into a tree. I don't think Jesus was telling us that our faith should remain so small but that this faith is a faith that would grow.

I think some people want to believe something will come true so they try to will themselves to believe. Paul said that faith is a gift from God. This means that faith is not something that we produce. It is something that is given to us. Therefore, the lack of faith is the refusal to accept delivery of something that God wants to give us.

God tells us to believe Him. Our lack of faith tells us to put more value in what we can see than what God has told us. No mountain will ever be removed this way. We can pray long prayers but without faith we will never see the mountain move one inch.

Do you have a mountain that you believe can't be moved? Then, that's the problem. You don't believe it will be moved because you believe more in what you can see than what God has said.

Once Jesus asked a man if he believed that Jesus could heal his son. The man said that he believed but asked that Jesus would help his unbelief. I think of this man as one of the wisest and most honest men in the Bible. He knew he could neither pretend he had great faith nor see what he needed with the faith he had at the moment. He asked for an extra delivery from God.

I ask God for faith. I want mustard seed faith. This is the kind that grows. I want to see my own mountains cast into the sea.

How about you? Do you need this faith, too?

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