Matthew 17:19, 20 - Mountain Moving Faith.
Matthew 17:19, 20; Mountain Moving Faith.
Matthew 17:19-20 (NIV) Then the disciples came to Jesus in
private and asked, Why couldnt we drive it out? 20 He replied,
Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as
small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from
here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for
you.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Ultimate Fact About Faith
The Bible tells the story of a father who desperately wanted
his son to be healed. Jesus disciples had tried and failed. When the
Lord heard this, he asked for the boy to be brought to him. The
father came to Jesus and pleaded,
"If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.'
"If you can?" Jesus replied. "Everything is possible for one
who believes."
The boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome
my unbelief!"
Immediately, Jesus healed the boy.
Do you think the boy was healed because of the strength of
the father's faith? No. Obviously, the father had little faith. He
wanted to believe, but he had been disappointed so many limes that he
had difficulty believing. Now the father had faith in the right
person - Jesus Christ. The ultimate truth is this: faith is only as
good as the one in whom it's invested.
Examine The Case
Jesus said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will
move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). Nothing
will be impossible for us, because nothing is impossible for God.
Through God's power, our little faith can accomplish big things.
Do you have the faith to move mountains? Mountains are big.
Sometimes we feel strong in our faith. Other times our faith feels pretty
small. Here's the good news: It's not up to our faith to move
mountains, because we have nothing to do with it. God does. He made the
mountains, and only he moves them. At times, we can feel like its up to
us to muster up the faith to make something big happen. If only I
have faith, I'll get over this illness, or If only I have faith, I'll
be able to tell that person about Jesus. But it's not about muster
- it's about mustard. Jesus said nothing is impossible for the
person who has the faith of a mustard seed. Invest your tiny faith in a
big God. Then trust him and see what he does. He may not always move
the way we hope, but he always moves in the way that's best for us.
Final Word
Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it
will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" Matthew 17:20. [Case
For Christ For Kids by Les Strobel]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Jesus spoke of great faith during His years on earth, but He
spoke far more about little faith. In today's Scripture, Jesus chides
the disciples for their small faith. Then He gives them an
illustration that must have stopped them in their tracks. He tells them, in
effect, "Why, if your faith were as small a mustard seed, you could do
anything!" Notice that He doesn't compare little faith with great faith; He
compares small faith with tiny, barely visible faith. But even this
microscopic faith, if genuine, can brush aside mountains in its path.
Earlier in Matthew, we read that the mustard seed, even though tiny,
grows into one of the largest trees in the garden (Mat. 13:32). It
grows. It doesn't stay insignificant. You may feel your faith is small
now, but persevere! Keep obeying, keep trusting, and your small faith
will one day become something more than you could have imagined.
I know, Lord, that the main thing isn't the strength of my
faith, but the strength of my God. Even so, I want to trust You more
and more, because I know it pleases You. I want You to smile on my
faith. And I want my faith to encourage others who are trying so hard
to hold on to faith at all. [A Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson
Tada and Larry Libby]
Unfortunately, most of us allow our hurts, hang-ups, and
habits to define us. We see them as immovable mountains, so much so
that we often can't imagine what our lives would look like if we were
to find ourselves completely free of them.
One of the reasons Celebrate Recovery [or church] has helped
so many is that it provides a ladder to hope. As we begin to climb
the ladder, freedom seems more and more possible because we are
going about it one step at a time. We begin to believe that God is
bigger than the mountains in our lives, more certain than our greatest
uncertainties, and completely faithful. In other words, we begin to have faith
in God. We begin to believe that we can be free, we can be whole.
It's true that a mountain represents a huge obstacle, but it
can be moved. Not because our faith is huge, but because we serve a
huge God, capable of doing more than we could ever think or imagine.
Anyone who wants to find out what God can do should come join us at
Celebrate Recovery [or church]. We know because we've seen the mountains
in our lives moved.
Lord God, thank you for a place where the power of God is
demonstrated. Give me the words to share what you've done in my life with
someone who is facing a mountain. In Jesus' name, Amen. [Celebrate
Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny Baker] parentheses added
It is reassuring to know that we don't need a large amount of
faith to begin the recovery process. We need only a small amount, "as
small as a mustard seed," to bring change and begin to move our
mountains of hurts, hang-ups, and habits. If we will put the faith that we
have in Jesus, our lives will be changed! We will find hope in the
only Higher Power, Jesus Christ.
Hope gives us the courage to reach out and hold Christ's
hand, while facing the present with confidence and the future with
realistic expectancy. Simply put, my life without Christ is a hopeless
end; with him it is an endless hope. Let's look at what the word HOPE
means.
H stands for "Higher Power." The only true Higher Power is
Jesus Christ.
O stands for "open to change."
P stands for "power to change."
E stands for "expect to change."
If this is our definition of hope, the changes we have longed
for are just steps away. We must not give up until we receive our
miracle from God. Our faith assures us that he exists and that he has
the power to help us overcome the hurts, hang-ups, and habits that
have ruled our lives.
Father, I place my faith in you and Your mighty power to free
me. I will not give up. I will hope in your goodness. In Jesus'
name, Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny
Baker]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150127-1700.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad:
https://vimeo.com/162267518
