How Big is God?… How Big is The Mountain?

We live in an era of uncertainty for the future. A sense of security seems lost and life’s problems loom like dark clouds overhead. Media pictures doom and gloom causing us to sink into despair and fear. Are these times any different than the ones found in Scripture?

• The Israelites facing the Philistines (giants)
• Moses facing Pharaoh in Egypt
• Israelites’ fear after scouting out the Promise Land
• Captivity of the Israelites in Babylon

The circumstances in each story appeared to be impossible to resolve. The future seemed to be uncertain and unknown. Yet the God of the impossible was there all along showing His glory and faithfulness. He wasn’t vacationing on some tropical island.

David empowered by God slew Goliath with just a sling and a stone. God provided a way for the Israelites to escape Egypt by parting the Red Sea. Years later God made a way to enter the Promise Land by parting the Jordan River for the Israelites.

To the human eye and understanding, these circumstances faced by individuals in Scripture seemed insurmountable, yet to God nothing was beyond His power. The impossible was made possible.

When the disciples questioned Jesus as to why they could not drive a demon out of a boy, He replied.

“Because you have so little faith, 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 17:20-21 NIV

Sometimes the fear of the circumstance is larger than the situation. Fear alters our view of God. In our mind, we put limits on what God can do and our unbelief takes over and faith diminishes. The walls of our mind form a box for God to dwell.

Our focus turns to worry and anxiety. Fear enters our thought processes keeping us in bondage to our circumstances. Our circumstances along with fear are then placed on the throne that God should occupy and an idol is created. In our mind, our circumstances/fear tower over the one true God, the Source of power to resolve the problems.

In Scripture, we read, “But seek first His kingdom (God) and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34 NIV

Chip Ingram states in his series on stress, “If you have a big God, you have a small problem. If you have a big problem, you have a small God.” God, the Creator of the Universe, can move the problem mountains.

Meditate on the lyrics to this song.

You Shine

Why should I fear man, when you made the heavens,

Why should I be afraid, when You put the stars in place.

Why should I lose heart, when I know how great You are,

Why should I give up when Your plans are full of love

In this world we will have trouble

But You have overcome the world.

You shine brighter than the brightest star;

Your love, purer than the purest heart;

You shine filling us with courage and strength

To follow You.

(Brian Doerksen, © 2001 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music)

We are not on life’s journey alone. When the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ occurred, the Holy Spirit was sent to empower each believer to courageously stand against evil, lift up and minister to the oppressed, set captives free, and speak truth boldly filled with grace.

Instead we rely on our own power and strength to deal with life’s uncertainty. We try harder by giving our best and relying on our own abilities. We say we trust God, but our actions reveal what is really in our heart.

In Experiencing the Spirit, Henry and Melvin Blackaby state, “You can put your trust in your ability, or you can put your faith in God. The choice is yours. When you rely on your own talents, you’ll experience your best. But when you put your faith in God and allow His Spirit to work in you, you’ll experience God’s best.”

God’s best far outshines ours. As God molds us and shapes us into vessels of His, we will experience the cutting away of ungodliness that will hurt but not harm us. The molding and shaping creates a pure heart.

In Matthew 6:8 (NIV), we read “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Do you see God’s best for you in this passage of Scripture? God’s desire is for each one of us to know Him to the fullest. Does this match your desire?

We will not experience God’s best for us until our desire matches His. This requires us to become totally dependent on God leaning on His understanding not ours and trusting Him to work in us and through us. Are you surrendering your will and control for His? Are you allowing your faith as small as a mustard seed to take root and grow?

As the darkness of your circumstances forms a fog around you and life is unclear, look to the Shepherd who loves and cares about you. Rest and graze in the green pastures as one of His sheep. Jesus, our Shepherd, stands guarding the gate to your pasture. He won’t let the wolves in to devour you.

Just trust Him even if it is moment by moment.

By Paula Silva

© 2009 FOCUS Ministries, Inc., www.focusministries1.org