Luke 17:5-6, “The apostles said to the Lord, “increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
Matthew 17:20, “He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of 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.”
What do you need more faith in right now? Bring it to the Heavenly Father. Sit before Him. Tell Him everything. Do you realize He didn’t directly answer the disciples’ question regarding them asking for their faith to be increased? Their amount of faith was not as crucial as the genuineness of it. Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 21:21-22, “And Jesus answered them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
What if, in your problem, Jesus is trying to create a stronger faith within your heart that believes more firmly in His provision, presence, and protection? That is what he tried to teach His apostles and the father of the boy who needed healing in Mark 9:24, when the man cried out to Jesus, “I believe, help my unbelief!” Don’t miss what God is trying to teach and develop within you. God may be developing righteous character while teaching you and, at the same time, growing you in your faith in His all sufficiency in your life and learning to trust God no matter what, which is a lifelong lesson.
Here is a quote from Ms Clara from the movie War Room: “The devil’s strategy for defeating the works of God in our lives is to divide and conquer. It’s such a wicked strategy and that is why you must counter it with divine strategies from God. He has a tendency of creating false accusations in the minds of believers to antagonize, to frustrate their good works.” Have you experienced that recently?
Let Psalm 7:10-11, be your prayer: “My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” Then pray Psalm 9:9-10, “The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.”
Do you only have a small amount of faith? It is a start. A tiny mustard seed (as pictured in the earrings picture) was in the disciples’ culture, could grow to twenty feet wide and tall, and was classified as an evergreen. It was a symbol of how faith can grow. Your faith will grow in seeing God’s presence, provision, and protection being supplied in your life one day at a time. Fix your eyes on Jesus despite your mountain. It is not so much as the quantity of your faith as it is your personal and genuine relationship with God. Trust in God to work great things and strengthen your faith by pouring into the Word of God to be your shield. His grace, love, and mercy will sustain you. Our faith comes alive when we apply scripture to an intimidating mountain in our life. When you need more faith, pray Psalm 119:25, “I am your servant, give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.”
Listen to Phil Wickham – Psalm 23 (Official Lyric Video) ft. Tiffany Hudson.