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.
Matthew 7: 20
I’ve had faith. I’ve trusted. I’ve believed. I’ve prayed. I’ve been bold. I’ve given it to God. But still my mountain hasn’t moved. It’s firmly, stubbornly stuck in place. My dreams for children remain that – a distant dream; a hope; a longing.
What do you do, when faith doesn’t move the mountain? Is this Scripture a lie? Or is my faith so shallow that it’s smaller even than a mustard seed?
My answer: none of the above! Even in the depths of my sorrow and grief I know that my faith has never left me. I’ve been mad at God – absolutely! But I still know that He loves me and hears me. I also know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Scripture doesn’t lie. So there must be another answer.
I’d been pondering these thoughts for weeks and then heard a great sermon on precisely this topic – thanks Stephen! Sometimes God knows what you need to hear.
It’s Not About “How Much Faith”
I’m not responsible for not being pregnant. Or more specifically, I still wouldn’t be pregnant if I had more faith. The important thing is not how much faith I have, but in whom I have faith.
My faith is in the same God who gave both Sarah and Elizabeth children in their old age. It’s in the God who created the whole universe. The Spirit of the God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in me. Whether I have a speck of faith or am completely faith filled … it’s still God who moves the mountain. He can do anything with my tiny bit of faith.
I Need To Redefine My Mountain
When I read these verses I see the mountain as my infertility. So when I don’t get pregnant, it feels like God hasn’t moved my mountain. But is it? It’s easy to look at Sarah and Elizabeth and claim their miraculous pregnancies for myself. But God had specifically spoken into both these situations, promising a child so as to fulfil His plans.
God also said “No” or “Not Yet” to people with a great faith. Paul prayed that his thorn be taken from him but God said “no”.
Photo by Travis Saylor from Pexels
On other occasions, God’s people chose to trust Him, not knowing what the outcome would be. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew that God could save them but, as they stepped into the fire, they didn’t know if he would. They stepped in anyway. What was the greatest miracle here? The fact that God saved them from burning, or the fact that they chose the fire over bowing down and worshipping the king?
Is my mountain my ability to surrender? Is it my trust in God? Is God helping me to grow closer to Him through this experience?
My prayer is that others will come to know Jesus through my life, or even through this blog. That is a mountain I know God wants to move!
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