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 17:20b [NIV]
A little faith goes a long way. I don’t know if you have seen the 2007 film “Evan Almighty” where Steve Carell plays a modern congressman who is told to build an ark. It’s a comedy, obviously, but interestingly perhaps it sheds light on the perversity of the faith that Noah had in building an ark in the middle of a desert.
The faith that Noah had, in following the details that God had given him, saved the lives of his family and the animals and enabled the continuation of life. Faith that can stand the test of mockery, cynicism and doubting, is the kind of faith that can move mountains.
How can we nurture this faith? I believe that 3 things are critical to faith building:
1) Time spent reading and studying God’s word in the Bible (each day)
2) Asking God to open our minds and hearts to what we are reading in times of prayer
3) Putting our knowledge of faith into practice – by actually using our faith in real situations
If I am honest with you, I find that these 3 things are difficult to keep high on my daily agenda. But I can also say that whenever I succeed in doing the above I see my faith grow and increase – I can also say that when I am too busy to do the above, (or distracted, disheartened or whatever other reason I may give) then I find that my faith suffers as a result.
I would like to encourage you to build your faith – we may not have the same measure of faith as Noah, but it only takes a “mustard seed” sized faith to make nothing impossible.
But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Galatians 3:22-24 [NIV]
