Mountain-Moving Faith

"If you have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, you can say unto this mountain, 'remove from here to yonder place'; and it will remove; and nothing will be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:20 SyS translation)
 
Humans like the idea of "no impossibles." We like to go anywhere at anytime without any obstacles. We like this concept of speaking and the obstructing mountain being moved. Yet, there is more to the speaking-moving idea that we must not ignore.

Here in Matthew's narrative, Jesus says, "because of your unbelief" the mountain didn't remove. In chapter 21, he said, it takes "faith without doubting" to cast the mountain in the sea. In Mark 11, Jesus says that the speaker must be convinced "that those things which he speaks will come to pass."

Yet, it seems to me that the crucial issue is found in Matthew 17:21. Jesus said, "However, it takes prayer and fasting to achieve this." While Matthew's specific context concerns casting out devils, the spiritual preparation imposed by the Lord must apply to both the faith and the removal of the mountain.

Mountain-moving faith is the wonderful consequence of sitting in the presence of God. Getting in his presence requires personal sacrifice. But, when we sit at his feet, our faith is empowered, no matter its size. There is something about his presence that destroys doubt and unbelief. And best of all, fellowship with him convinces us that nothing is impossible to God, therefore nothing is impossible to us.

In our world of addictions, abuse, sexual immoralities, hard-hearted selfishness, and plain old sinful lifestyles we need mountain-moving faith.

Dear Father, thank you for a faith that moves mountains. Empower us to fast and pray until we are full of mountain-moving faith. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN

Be strong and courageous today with mountain-moving faith,