- Oswald Chambers
Jesus was very clear on this. He said it over and over again. Have Faith, and it will be possible. A simple idea that is practically impossible for believers to actually accept. But in the realm of God, impossibility is not a possibility.
Jesus sees a barren tree and withers it with a word. The disciples are amazed and ask how this can be. "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
And when brought a demon-possessed man who He easily heals He says the disciples were unsuccessful, "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.”
Do you know how small a mustard seed is?
All you need is that much Faith to move a mountain. So how little do I really have? Could you even see it with your eye?
God has been nudging me with this lately. I have a feeling He has been you too. We are a generation of weak believers. Strong actors, impassioned worshipers, cheerful givers, and excellent organizers.
But weak believers. I know because I'm one of the weakest.
I mean come on, how many mountains have you seen being thrown around recently? We will do anything but lean on the supernatural cosmic powers of our Creator.
"We will come to Jesus for Him to be our comforter or our sympathizer, but we refrain from approaching Him as our Almighty God." -Oswald Chambers
What is so scary or disturbing or impossible about asking a being who created reason and wind and flame to heal a sickness? To provide a full-time job? To keep the bills paid? To bring a wandering love one home? To supply a car? To build a church or business?
Nothing. That's the sad truth. There is nothing in the way of us believing that God is everything He says He is. Just us. We have the microscopic faith and doubt that keeps us from helping stoke the fires of God's glory here on earth. Think about it. Every time God provides something miraculous for us, every time He goes against common sense to show He truly cares about all our lives, His glory shines. And the more we believe that He can do great things, the more He will. And the more He does, the more those blazing fires of God's glory burn here in the world. And the brighter those fires burn, the more the lost will notice.
It is to the world's advantage that we believe God will do great things. It is to His advantage that we do as well.
He has set the nations before us and offered them with a smile. THE NATIONS! God can make a rose bush bloom in winter! He can make a dead man come back to life! He can collapse mountains and water deserts! He can make gold useless and turn a fire to ice! He can turn the meanest criminal in the world into a loving saint.
And I hear such wonderful stories. A man works for a company where he is treated badly and bullied, but when the owner wants to sell it, he goes to this man first. And he doesn't want to sell it, he wants to give it. Now he's the boss of all those who treated him badly.
A worship leader's brother offers him his $1500 guitar because he wants to buy a new one. Several months later the leader's guitar breaks and he takes his brother up on the offer. But now the brother's changed his mind, he wants to keep his guitar. So he gives the leader the new $3000 one that he bought to replace the old one.
A missionary is drawn to reach the millions of lost souls in India. By a dream he is led to minister to the children of the lowest class of Hindi, the slaves and hated. Through their childlike faith not only are tens of thousands of children brought to the Lord and educated, but they minister to their own parents, who come to the Lord. They even revolt against the Hindu religion to demand the right to choose their own faith, and not be a slave to it anymore.
Given more than they could ask or even imagine. It is the signature of God. Is this what you desire? I will give you what you dared not even dream.
So why don't I believe He will do for me the things I desire? A job... a companion... a purpose...
They seem like such small favors when you think about it.
Jesus sees a barren tree and withers it with a word. The disciples are amazed and ask how this can be. "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
And when brought a demon-possessed man who He easily heals He says the disciples were unsuccessful, "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.”
Do you know how small a mustard seed is?
All you need is that much Faith to move a mountain. So how little do I really have? Could you even see it with your eye?
God has been nudging me with this lately. I have a feeling He has been you too. We are a generation of weak believers. Strong actors, impassioned worshipers, cheerful givers, and excellent organizers.
But weak believers. I know because I'm one of the weakest.
I mean come on, how many mountains have you seen being thrown around recently? We will do anything but lean on the supernatural cosmic powers of our Creator.
"We will come to Jesus for Him to be our comforter or our sympathizer, but we refrain from approaching Him as our Almighty God." -Oswald Chambers
What is so scary or disturbing or impossible about asking a being who created reason and wind and flame to heal a sickness? To provide a full-time job? To keep the bills paid? To bring a wandering love one home? To supply a car? To build a church or business?
Nothing. That's the sad truth. There is nothing in the way of us believing that God is everything He says He is. Just us. We have the microscopic faith and doubt that keeps us from helping stoke the fires of God's glory here on earth. Think about it. Every time God provides something miraculous for us, every time He goes against common sense to show He truly cares about all our lives, His glory shines. And the more we believe that He can do great things, the more He will. And the more He does, the more those blazing fires of God's glory burn here in the world. And the brighter those fires burn, the more the lost will notice.
It is to the world's advantage that we believe God will do great things. It is to His advantage that we do as well.
He has set the nations before us and offered them with a smile. THE NATIONS! God can make a rose bush bloom in winter! He can make a dead man come back to life! He can collapse mountains and water deserts! He can make gold useless and turn a fire to ice! He can turn the meanest criminal in the world into a loving saint.
And I hear such wonderful stories. A man works for a company where he is treated badly and bullied, but when the owner wants to sell it, he goes to this man first. And he doesn't want to sell it, he wants to give it. Now he's the boss of all those who treated him badly.
A worship leader's brother offers him his $1500 guitar because he wants to buy a new one. Several months later the leader's guitar breaks and he takes his brother up on the offer. But now the brother's changed his mind, he wants to keep his guitar. So he gives the leader the new $3000 one that he bought to replace the old one.
A missionary is drawn to reach the millions of lost souls in India. By a dream he is led to minister to the children of the lowest class of Hindi, the slaves and hated. Through their childlike faith not only are tens of thousands of children brought to the Lord and educated, but they minister to their own parents, who come to the Lord. They even revolt against the Hindu religion to demand the right to choose their own faith, and not be a slave to it anymore.
Given more than they could ask or even imagine. It is the signature of God. Is this what you desire? I will give you what you dared not even dream.
So why don't I believe He will do for me the things I desire? A job... a companion... a purpose...
They seem like such small favors when you think about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment