Last time I intended to focus in on the ‘mustard seed’ of faith that Jesus referred to in Matthew 17 verse 20.   Guess what?   Not one iota!  Did I forget?  Am I losing it?  No, to the former; you decide on the latter!!  Be nice, now!  Remember where we left off yesterday?   We’ve been to the top of the mountain with Jesus witnessing His amazing transfiguration!  Elijah and Moses were with Jesus, all caught sight of by Peter, James and John, the inner circle of His disciples.  Beginning at verse 14,  Jesus and these three are coming upon a crowd of people.  A man comes right up to Jesus, kneeling before Him, stopping Him in His tracks, begging for mercy for his son, who has some kind of devilish condition that causes him great bodily harm along with utter heartache for all who love this troubled youth.  The distraught father says that he has sought the help of the disciples… but to no avail.  The disciples were useless!  And how Jesus’ words must have stung their ears and scorched their souls–  ‘O Unbelieving and perverse generation’.  Who… us?  Those words would be painful to hear. Especially with what they saw up on that mountain.  The Father’s affirmation of Jesus.  Being with Moses and Elijah.   The entire happening should have lead to more faith in Jesus.  They certainly should have no doubts about what they had experienced up there. What they had seen with their own eyes.  The modern word ‘awesome’ would be an understatement at best.   And then He says that if they only had a tiny bit of faith, like the size of an itsy-bitsy mustard seed, they could pray and see God work utter miracles.  Like moving mountains.   Jesus wants us to witness His work in this world… and in our lives.  It doesn’t mean we must be a Billy Graham or a pastor or missionary.  But who can tell?  Jesus refers to a small mustard seed.  Nothing  pretentious,  putting on airs or wearing masks.  Simply trusting in Jesus.   Moving mountains through prayer, refusing to be discouraged by all the demonic and demoralizing  forces around us.  Mountains of bitterness and revenge–move aside!   Mountains of unforgiveness– let it go!   Allowing God to pick up our emotional rubbish for His disposal–good riddance.  Moving mountains with a tiny mustard seed called faith in Jesus our Lord.  Got any mountains to move?  Who doesn’t… except the one who likes to hide behind a self-righteous facade.  I have mountains of mountains.  To talk to God about.  Big mounds of bad memories and guilt laced with shame and embarrassment.  Dirt high up of what some people have done to me, which I need to let go of.  To leave things behind, so I don’t weigh myself down, all hunched over, with what the Lord has already lifted from my shoulders.  What a silly scene indeed!  Carrying around what’s been removed.  I know I’m not the only one.  You know who I mean!  Get current with what God has already forgiven and, here’s the best part,  forgotten.  Hills of wasted time and opportunity.   Are you with me?  You understand because you’ve been there as well.  Plant the mustard seed called faith, asking the Lord today to increase your trust in Him.  Faith will grow.  Sprouts seen where fallow ground used to be.  He’s a good farmer!  With but a mere tiny seed of faith.  Not very big.  Small is okay.  Don’t need gargantuan faith.  That’s the promise of the tiny mustard seed.  More accurately, the promise of Jesus Christ.  That should be good enough for me…and you?

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord, for being so trustworthy.  We can lean on you when everything else is so shaky in life.  We do trust you.  Increase our faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.