Each week, I’ll share personal reflections from my own time with God, our Heavenly Father. On a Personal Note is where I’ll highlight takeaways and implications for walking with the Lord.
Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?” “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “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.”
Matthew 17:19-20 NLT
One night last week, I remember praying for big bold faith. As I was in my morning prayer time, I was led to Matthew 17:19-20. In the preceding verses, a desperate father brought his son, who most scholars believe had a form of epilepsy, to Jesus’ disciples to be healed. After the disciples failed attempts, the father turns to Jesus. Jesus healed the boy, once he rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith. Later, the disciples privately asked why they weren’t able to drive out the boy’s demon. To which, Jesus answered if they had faith, then nothing would be impossible.
That verse changed my perspective on faith. See a mustard seed is very small, but once planted it grows rapidly into a large plant. Jesus even uses the radical growth of the mustard seed in a parable to describe what the Kingdom of Heaven is like (Matthew 13:31-32). In Matthew 17:20, Jesus is showing us that the amount of faith is not important. Mustard seed faith is still faith.
God is pleased with our acts done in the smallest bits of faith. It’s our little yes. It’s changing one small habit. It’s our little prayers in moments of despair. It’s listening to the nudges of the Holy Spirit. Each and every act of faith pushes us closer to God’s purpose for our lives. Today, I want to encourage you to keep moving forward in faith. Always remember that God is still pleased with mustard seed faith.
As we study the word of God, we should walk away with practical steps for our life. My takeaway – Mustard seed faith is still faith. Keep moving forward with little steps of faith.
What about you? What’s your takeaway? How will you walk it out in your daily life?
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