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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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I know that most people are in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season, but December always reminds me to slow down and reflect. It’s something about the cold weather that forces me to cozy up and sit still… I believe the stillness opens
With a little over 30 days left in the year, it’s easy to put a pin in new ideas or projects until the new year. As tempting as enjoying the pause may be, there are some things that we have been called to do that require our action now. Spiritual callings require our steadfast attention, not temporary devotion when our schedules allow. In this season, the Lord has been challenging me to finish well.
In a culture that values purpose and spiritual gifting, it’s interesting how quickly we toss them to the side when we’re fatigued or distracted. We yield to the flesh instead of the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We abandon how we show up out of convenience; missing opportunities to share the Gospel or be the hands and feet of Christ. Simply put, we fail to finish well.
El Roi. The God who sees me. When we talk about Hagar, we often refer to this tender exchange. This exact moment in the wilderness when she encounters God… when she accepts correction and instruction to return to a tense situation… when she receives the promise concerning the son in her womb… when she recognizes that she is seen and known by name. Yes, this is a pivotal moment, marked with such a significant name, and as I began to walk through Hagar’s story, to be seen, is so much deeper than watching someone visually.
“Are you going to try for another one?”
The ink on our marriage certificate wasn’t even dry before people began to ask when my husband and I were planning on having children. This seemingly innocent question was often met with ‘we don’t know’ outwardly, but inwardly it reinforced the shame of not being able to conceive a child.
I am the one in four.
If you or someone close to you is in need, we would be honored to lift you up in prayer. We believe in the power of prayer to bring peace, comfort, and reassurance during times of hardship. Our community is ready to join together and pray as we trust in God’s love and unending grace.
