“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Matt. 17:20 NLT)
If you are anything like I am, you truly desire to have that “mountain-moving” faith the Bible describes in the text above.
You likely already understand that the primary reason our prayers are often not answered is our lack of faith: “‘You don’t have enough faith,’ Jesus told them.” (Matt 17:20a NLT). In addition, you more than likely wish to please God, and you realize that this requires faith: “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Heb. 11:6 NLT). You may also desire to be a good witness, and you are keenly aware that taking a stand in faith provides a powerful testimony: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith…” (Heb. 12:1a NLT).
The thing that you still may not fully comprehend, however, is just what this “mountain-moving” faith actually looks like…
That’s the question I was asking myself this morning as I renounced, yet again, that demon of doubt over an issue I had weeks ago committed to a stand of faith. I was ironing at the time, and as my eyes were drawn to the article of clothing on the ironing board, the thought occurred to me that I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that the iron would successfully smooth out the cloth. Suddenly I understood. In the same way I would never doubt the iron’s abilities, mountain-moving faith in God leaves us without doubt that God will take care of the problem at hand.
If you think about it, why should there be any doubt? Haven’t we experienced God’s miraculous power far more often than we’ve ever experienced the power of the iron to remove wrinkles? Haven’t we seen God at work often enough to know beyond a doubt that He will come through? Don’t we believe the many stories in the Bible and all the testimonies of our fellow followers of Christ? Shouldn’t that alone make us 100% certain that no matter what, God will keep His promises? When God asks us to have mountain-moving faith, He isn’t asking for us to blindly believe. He has already given us adequate proof of His power and love.
But does that mean that our stand in faith is without present reassurance?
Not at all. God knew how much I desired to have that mountain-moving faith, and once I had put away my iron, He proceeded to give me some direct encouragement straight from the Scriptures, words that spoke directly into the situation I had committed to a stand in faith. This wasn’t the first time He had sent me encouragement, either. In the months leading up to this incident, He had time and time again given me reassurance that He would come through in His time.
That’s what happens when we take a stand in faith. Our “mountain-moving” faith, that belief beyond doubt that God will do His job, doesn’t need to be a blind faith at all; rather, He is willing and able–and even desiring–to provide us with plenty of reassurance along the way. Our job is simply to meditate upon what He has done for us in the past (See Ps. 77:12; 143:5, etc.); to contemplate the depth and length and width and height of His love for us (see Eph. 3:17-19); to watch for the encouragement He will send along the way; and to believe, with the same assurance we have that the iron will do its job on our wrinkled cloths, that He will come through in whatever situation we are facing at the moment.
Remember: Whatever it is you are praying about, God has already promised the perfect solution. Just as you believe in the power of the iron, you can believe, without hesitation or doubt, in God’s promises; and when you keep your heart open to Him, He will send those reassurances and encouragements along the way. No matter how serious your circumstances may be, they are nothing more than “wrinkles” on the “fabric of life”, awaiting the touch of the “Master Iron”, God Himself. Believe in that “Iron” of God’s unfailing power, love and grace, and especially in the well-established fact that: “…the Lord your God is God, the faithful God. He keeps His promise and shows His loving-kindness to those who love Him and keep His Laws…” (Deut. 7:9 NLT).
I was certain then that God was finished using that silly iron to teach me lessons in faith, but I was wrong. Join us on Saturday for a timely, poignant–and somewhat hand-slapping–look at…patience: “The Iron”, Part 2.
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author — “Aboard God’s Train — A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer”, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.
(To access the entire “The Iron” mini-series, please click here.)