Big God

Big God

Read: Matthew 17:20

“I tell you the truth, 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

“You might as well shut your eyes and look inside to see whether you have sight, as to look inside and discover if you have faith.”

—Hannah Whitall Smith

IN WORD Many times we put our faith in faith. We take Jesus’ teaching about mustard seeds and mountains to mean that faith is the object we are to desire most. But we must be careful. Though Jesus is consistent and frequent in His praise of faith, He never says that faith is the end of the matter. It is not faith in our own ability to have faith that is the key to answered prayer. It is faith in Him.

A bleeding woman came to Jesus for help in Matthew 9:20-22. She never said to herself, “If only I can muster up enough faith, I will be healed.” Rather, she says: “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus is the object of her faith. He commends her unbridled pursuit of Him and His power, not the self-cultivation of spiritual development. In her mind, there is nothing of herself in this pursuit—no strain to believe more, no determination to be better or to grow in knowledge. It’s simply Jesus. He is the variable that matters.

Jesus’ commendation of faith is a far cry from some modern ministries’ emphasis on the faith of the believer. In fact, if we stressed the power of Jesus and never considered the quantity of our faith, we would be in a league with those whom Jesus rewards with words of approval. The substance of faith is never what matters; it’s the object of faith. How much we have isn’t the issue. It’s the One in whom we trust.

IN DEED Have you struggled to have more faith? Take your eyes off your faith and put them on God. Your understanding of God is your faith. Your belief will never grow larger; your view of God will. Meditate on His grandeur and you’ll find yourself trusting Him more. And you’ll also find that nothing is impossible.