Monday, April 14, 2008

Thought #12.1

And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
- Matthew 21: 21&22

It is true. Don't give me all the reasons you think falsify Christ's statement. Don't give me all the instances you asked for something, then never received it.

Check yourself first. Take a step back and look at your situation. Ask yourself if you have the faith enough to throw a mountain into the sea. Maybe you're intimidated by such a large object. Well, ask yourself if you have faith enough to even throw a rock into the ocean, to even see a pebble, by itself, take flight and rapidly hurl itself into the nearest body of water.

Reflect on who you are. On what you believe in. I'm not asking you to believe in magic or in fairies or in the Lochness Monster, but I'm asking you to look at yourself and the world you live in.

Then reflect on who God is. On your connection with Him. And look at who He created you to be and the world He created for you to live in.

Jesus gives a psuedo ultimatum here: if you believe then it will happen; if you don't believe then it won't happen. Then He shows us how small of a thing He did in comparison to what we are able to do. If we have faith. Then Jesus shows us our connection with God - prayer. So not only are we meant to have faith, but it is a faith with a particular focus - on God. It is a faith which exists to expel all doubt where we first believe, then we act - acting through God when God grants it be done - then revert back to faith so the end result is a growth in faith from fig trees to mountains.

So may you succeed today and may God show His steadfast love to you.

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