MOVING MOUNTAINS

Matthew 17:20 [NIV] 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."

Are there any others out there besides me who wonder if they could ever have THAT much faith? I don’t know about you, but the idea of moving even pebbles by faith seems beyond my means!

What mountain is it that we should be trying to move? Every mountain in our way? Maybe. But take note of the fact that Jesus says “to this mountain” rather than “to a mountain.” 

While I have no doubt that, should the work of God require it, a faithful servant could by faith move any literal mountain in his way, I’d like to propose that for everyday life, we think about this differently. Is it possible, the faithful are literally moving a particular mountain every day of our lives?

In Daniel 2:35, we read of a particular, great mountain: 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. [NIV] This mountain is the Kingdom and Government of God. 

I believe, the embodiment of that Kingdom and Government is our Lord and Savior Himself, who is often called “the Rock” or “a Rock.”

There are plenty of Scriptures, according my understanding of them, that back up this idea. Here are two:

• Romans 9:33 [NIV] As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame."
• 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 [KJV] 1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

If you are with me on this line of thinking, then please allow me to take this to the next logical step. If Jesus is, in fact, the representation of the mountain or rock of the Kingdom and Government of God, then, first and foremost, our faith should be strong enough to move this Mountain, the Kingdom, and the embodiment of that Kingdom, Jesus. 

Perhaps we should not think of ourselves as needing to move Mount Everest for the sake of the Kingdom, but to move the mountain of the Kingdom toward its fulfillment every day. We believers should be doing what we can every day to bring the Kingdom of God to this earth soon – things like preaching the Gospel, living as a light in this sin-darkened world, showing love above all else, and so much more.

By the evidence of our faith, I believe we also move our Rock, Jesus, to action. We also, by prayer, move Him to act for the sake of us, His brothers and sisters as well as for the sake of this poor, suffering world.

Like Moses, we can speak to THIS Rock and have Him pour forth living water – into our souls and out into this thirsty world. [Compare Numbers 20:8 to John 4:10-14 and 7:38]

You see, dear sister, it is possible that you are moving mountains more frequently than you realize – by your prayers, by your good works, by your faithfulness. 

Perhaps that encouragement will embolden you in the day you literally need to cast a mountain into the sea. After all, you’ve been moving THIS Mountain all along. 

I welcome your thoughts, comments and questions. You can write me at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org.