Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. Matthew 21:21 (NLT)
It’s kind of ironic that today I seem to be writing about moving a mountain. I woke up feeling not so faithful. You know, it seemed like every day this week there was something that challenged my faith. By today, my faith was as small as a mustard seed. And I told God that this morning. :-)
We each have our mountains. They look really different depending on who you are and what you are facing right now. And, the mountain can change over time. As things move and progress, what is on our mountain becomes different. What do I mean by “what is on our mountain”?
Recently, I started digging in a little to understand fasting better. I can honestly say as a Christian, I know what it is and I know how it’s done but deep down, I don’t think I really get it. I am asking God to explain this and show me what he wants me to know about it.
I decided to start a weekly fast. What better way to find out about something than to start doing it, right? So, I set the time, the type of fast and then got to “What am I fasting for?” So, I made a list. I have a list of 10 things where I am asking to see God’s movement. As I looked at my list I thought “That’s a lot of stuff. Looks like a mountain of stuff.” And then during my worship one of the days following I read today’s Scripture. I’m sure that wasn’t a coincidence.
As I fasted, I began praying for the mountain. And now, even when I am not fasting, I pray that God will move in things on the mountain. When I have days like today when my faith is very, very small, I remember that God is bigger than my faith. I remember what he has done in the past and how he shows up all the time - maybe not in the exact way I want but he still shows up. I remember that while I have my mountain and some days I look at it too often, I need to move my focus to take in the view from where I stand. I need to reflect on the journey that I am on instead of the obstacles that loom ahead.
It boils down to what I truly believe in my heart. Do I believe in a God who loves me and is involved in my life? Do I believe that he has shown up in the past and everything, although sometimes painful, has worked out for the best? Do I know in my heart that God is more powerful than any mountain I am staring at? And most importantly, do I believe he is willing to get involved?
I do. So as I continue to climb this mountain, instead of looking at the rocky trail ahead, I am going to adjust my view to the One who stands at the end of the path and keep walking toward Him. I can’t wait to see how he moves this mountain!