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The Promise of Faith

Read: Matthew 17:14–20; 21:18–22

SOAP: Matthew 21:21–22

Jesus answered them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.”

Faith is a gift, and we don’t need to have much of it for God to do something amazing with it. Matthew shared a moment with Jesus where He told Matthew that all it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains. Have you ever seen a mustard seed? We have a jar of poppy seeds in our pantry that we use for baking, and a mustard seed is half the size of one of those!

When given the proper care, Mustard plants are hardy bushes that grow slowly but can withstand high heat and little water. When fully grown, these plants are anywhere from six to twenty feet tall and have deep roots that seek out water, which helps them survive during droughts. 

Our faith doesn’t need to be big to have a significant impact. Still, with proper nurturing and development, a commitment to slow but steady growth, and a willingness to dig our roots deep into God’s Word and the Living Water of Jesus Christ, a tiny grain of faith can mature into something that can withstand our wilderness seasons. 

Spend some time today reflecting on your faith. Ask God to reveal where you’ve been doubting or where you’ve been waiting to go to Him in prayer because your faith didn’t feel big enough. Embrace your faith, whether it’s as small as a mustard seed or feels twenty feet tall, and thank God for this beautiful gift that you can bring back to Him.

Prayer

God, You promise that when I ask in faith and believe, I will receive—and that is a beautiful gift. Thank You for giving me all I need to nurture my mustard seed-sized faith into something amazing that You can use to move mountains. Amen.