Matthew 17:20: “. . . For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Often times our faith needs strengthening and needs to be enlarged. Is your faith being stretched right now? Do you need encouragement? I have been there a time or two or three.
In Matthew 21: 21b-22, Jesus tells the disciples to have faith and “do not doubt . . . And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive if you have faith.”
Has 2016 tempted you with doubt and feeling hopeless? I have had numerous people tell me they couldn’t wait for 2017 to begin, because 2016 was the hardest year they had ever experienced. Some had financial upheavals, others had heartaches with their children. Others were victims of fraud and working through those issues. Disappointments in expectations often promotes discouragement.
Our personal faith in Jesus Christ is the core of our spiritual strength. Satan will do all he can to disrupt it and put feelings of uncertainty in our mind. He wants us to question if we really believe God can do it? The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy all that God has for you. He is full of distractions and confusion. Do not let him win.
I have been going to physical therapy for several lower lumbar back issues. The purpose is to strengthen my core in order to have better mobility without pain. The doctor at my recent check-up just told me that I have to train my mind and body to engage my core first (sucking in the abs), before lifting, reaching, twisting, sitting, vacuuming, or doing any bending from here on out, because then I should have a better ability to be able to function adequately, until other measures are needed next.
Our core is our body’s powerhouse. Not only does it facilitate movement, but it also houses our body’s central nervous system and inner organs. Your core muscles are considered the most important muscles in your body.
Just as our body’s core is the basis of our physical strength and mobility, so is our faith in Christ, the basis of our spiritual strength. Just as we strengthen our physical core, we must strengthen our spiritual core, which begins with faith. That is where everything starts and is our foundation while we are on this earth.
A mustard seed is only one to two millimeters in size. It is extremely tiny. A mustard seed takes three to five days to germinate. Mustard seeds grow into shrubs. So must our faith increase and progress in maturity. Sometimes our faith has to mature by going through trials. We never learn from our successes, but by our mistakes.
It is not the quantity or size of your faith that counts. It is the quality of your confidence in God’s Word and His immeasurable power in your life that matters. Faith like a mustard seed needs to be cultivated, watered, and nurtured, so that it will grow.
In faith, I must cast all of my anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7) and rest assured He’s got this! It is not for me to know how or why. God is in charge of those details.
In Times of Disillusionment or Discouragement:
- Engage your spiritual core which is your faith and confidence in Christ.
- Have verses hidden in your heart so the Holy Spirit can remind you of God’s truths while undergoing any trial. Memorize scripture.
- Jesus is your teacher. Be His student. Learn from Him.
- Let your light shine in spite of your circumstances.
- Faith believes without seeing the proof. Faith is the action!
- Review past answers to prayer requests.
Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
How to Strengthen Your Spiritual Core:
- Spend more time in prayer and meditate on God’s word daily. Keep a journal of what God is saying to you as you read His Word. Record your prayer requests and date them.
- Ask a trusted friend to hold you accountable for having more faith in God’s almighty plan for your life.
- Engage your confidence in God, to perform the needed action when tested so the Holy Spirit will be able to fill your heart, soul, and mind with the peace only He can provide.
- Be on guard against Satan’s efforts. Make Ephesians 6:16a become the script of your life: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one . . .”
Do you really know who Jesus is? Do you believe Him? Throughout the gospels, Jesus responded to people who didn’t have much faith. Jesus just wants us to believe He is the Messiah, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, our Savior, the Son of the living God. He wants us to have heart knowledge and not just head knowledge. He wants us to have no doubts that He can if He chooses.
Several years ago we went through a plethora of trials. It seemed as if they would never stop. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse it did. We didn’t know why. We asked ourselves if there was some deep sin in our lives that was the cause of these heartaches. The word agony pretty much describes how we felt. It was a very hard season of our life.
But “during that time period, God started a work within my heart and mind through Psalm 119:92: “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.” Psalm 25 was another great passage, along with many others, that God comforted me with. It gave me a passion to encourage others, through His Word, when they are going through a Mt. Everest-sized trial and start to wonder why, and if God really loves them.” Quote from “Taming the Lion’s Roar. Handling Fear in the Midst of a Trial,” by Linda Killian.
I have Hebrews 11:6 on a stand at my kitchen sink to remind myself of God’s promise to me during times of difficulty: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
“Faithfully carry what God has put in your hands right now. This is God’s will.” Louie Giglio
“Where are you the most proficient, most sufficient? Maybe that is precisely where God wants you to trust Him to do something beyond your ability.” Mark Batterson
May this be your prayer today: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12: “That God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Thank you Linda for your blogs. Every time I read them it is exactly what I need to hear at that exact time. I have not been praying and having my God time because of all the distractions in my house this holiday, even some are great ones, like my brand new grandson, but still distractions. I need to put God first always and your words help me to remember that.
You humble and bless me Michelle, by your encouraging words! They are very much appreciated!! May God uplift you through His precious word today.