The Might Of A Mustard Seed
From The Message: When Little Becomes Much
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the mountains in your life? Those seemingly insurmountable obstacles that mock you daily, obscuring your view of God's promises on the other side? You're not alone. We all face challenges that can make us feel small and powerless. But what if I told you that the key to moving those mountains lies not in your own strength, but in the tiniest seed of faith?
The Bible tells us a fascinating story of contrast - a tale of a mountain and a mustard seed. Jesus, in His wisdom, uses this extreme comparison to teach us a profound lesson about faith. He says, "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" (Matthew 17:20).
Let's pause for a moment and consider the absurdity of this statement. A mustard seed is so small it can slip through your fingers unnoticed. A mountain, on the other hand, is massive, immovable, and constant. How could something so tiny possibly impact something so enormous? It seems ridiculous, doesn't it?
But that's exactly the point. God doesn't operate on our logic or within our limitations. He specializes in the disproportionate, the unexpected, and the seemingly impossible. Throughout Scripture, we see God using the small and unlikely to accomplish great things:
David, a young shepherd boy, defeating the giant Goliath with a slingshot
Gideon's army of 300 men overcoming thousands
Five loaves and two fish feeding a multitude of 5,000
God delights in taking our little and making it much. He's not looking for equal proportions or logical outcomes. He's looking for faith - even if it's just a tiny seed.
So why do we often fail to see mountains move in our lives? The disciples once asked Jesus this very question. They had tried to cast out a demon from a boy but couldn't. Jesus' response? "Because of your unbelief." It wasn't about their lack of passion, energy, or care. It was about their lack of faith.
How often do we find ourselves in the same position? We're doing everything "right" - attending church, serving, tithing - yet still not seeing breakthroughs. Could it be that we're relying on our own efforts rather than exercising that mustard seed of faith?
Here's a powerful truth: Mountains cannot change themselves. They remain constant, unmovable. But a seed? A seed has the potential for exponential growth. When planted in the right soil, nurtured, and given time, it can produce a harvest that far exceeds its original size. That harvest then produces more seeds, which produce more harvests, and the cycle of multiplication continues.
This is the nature of faith. It may start small, but when planted in the fertile soil of God's promises and watered by His Word, it has the potential to grow beyond our wildest imaginations.
But there's a catch. We must speak to our mountains. Jesus didn't say the mountain would move on its own. He said we must speak to it. Our words, when coupled with faith, have creative power. Just as God spoke the world into existence, we are called to speak life, victory, and movement into our situations.
However, before we can effectively speak to our mountains, we need to address how we see ourselves. In Numbers 13, the Israelite spies saw themselves as grasshoppers compared to the inhabitants of the Promised Land. Their self-perception became a self-fulfilling prophecy, keeping them out of their destiny for 40 years.
How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself through the lens of your past failures, others' opinions, or the mountain looming before you? Or do you see yourself as God sees you - as His beloved child, created in His image, with the potential to move mountains?
Remember, you are the artist of your life. You get to choose how you perceive yourself and your circumstances. Will you let the mountain define you, or will you let your mustard seed faith define the mountain?
It's time to stop underestimating the power of your small faith. It's time to stop letting the mountain mock you day after day. It's time to open your mouth and declare, "Mountain, move in the name of Jesus!"
Does this seem over the top? Extreme? Ridiculous? Good! We serve an extreme, ridiculous, absolutely crazy kind of God who specializes in turning the little into much. He takes what the enemy meant for evil and turns it for good. He takes our mustard seed and uses it to uproot mountains.
So what's your mountain today? Is it debt? Sickness? Unforgiveness? Addiction? Whatever it is, know this: You have within you the faith to move it. You may feel small in comparison, but remember - it's not about the size of your faith, but the size of your God.
