Mountain Movers

FAITH

 Matthew 21:21 – “Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.’”

I’ve read this verse countless times in my life, but today, I felt particularly convicted. I had to ask myself—Is my faith strong enough to move mountains?

God has done some AMAZING things in my life, and He has inspired in me a faith that, at times, seemed unshakable. But today, as I stand here in front of yet another mountain in my path, I wonder if I have it in me to simply make it move. If my anxiety about the mountainous situation is any indication, I’m leaning toward a negative response to that question, which saddens me to no end.  I’ve seen firsthand, on now countless occasions, God’s ability to move in a mighty and miraculous way. I wrote about one such instance in my last post just the other day. So WHY do I continue to doubt when I encounter new mountains on my journey? Do you ever find yourself doing the same?

Here’s my theory…

I didn’t always live a life where God was my center, and I believe that my flesh pulls me back to that standard on a regular basis. There are just SO MANY THINGS in life to distract and weasel their way into the center of my focus. And as my attention turns away from God to those other worldly things, I believe it places distance between us; making it even easier the next time for something of this world to turn my head.

I’m learning, slowly but surely, the degree to which keeping God at the center has to be an ongoing, lifelong, conscious act that takes time and effort, commitment and sacrifice. And as God resumes His rightful place as my primary focus, I can “hear” Him more clearly; I “see” Him at work more frequently, and my “faith muscle” gets stronger, to the point where my level of faith remains more constant, whether I can see and hear Him or not (because I know that He is always there).

Are you facing a mountain in your life that is shaking your foundation of faith? The best way to tackle that slope is to take your focus off of the mountain and put it back on God. He will help you scale that slope or give you the strength you need to move it out of your way altogether and become your own Mountain Mover.

Shine Your Light!

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Additional Scripture

Matthew 17:20 – “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. 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.’”

My Strong Tower

Good Morning All! It’s been a while since I have posted, but it is not because I have not been writing. Life has just gotten the better of my desire to post, but I’m back, and I will try to make sure that you hear from me more often. I wanted to share an encounter that my husband and I had yesterday where God showed Himself mighty and strong and protected us from what could have been a bad situation. I look forward to your thoughts and comments!

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PROTECTION

Proverbs 18:10 – “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Yesterday, God saved us. He sent his angels to stand before us and keep my husband and I from pursuing a path that looked so appealing, but ultimately would have been quite destructive and could have opened us up to harm.

The deal sounded like the answer to our prayers. We were convinced and ready to sign on the dotted line. We had come into the meeting as skeptics, but the salesman had done his job and snared us hook, line, and sinker. It would have been a done deal, except that we had prayed earlier about the decision—for guidance, wisdom, discernment…for protection…and WOW, did God deliver!

My husband and I had laid out a fleece to help us determine if the decision was ordained by God, and initially, it seemed that God had answered in the affirmative. But we all know that looks can be deceiving, and slowly, God began to open our eyes to the truth that was being concealed. Within minutes, the deal that seemed to be the answer to our prayers was revealed as a deceptive ploy!

But we wanted it SO BADLY! It seemed SO WONDERFUL! And even as God slowly removed our blinders, we clung to the hope that it could still work out the way we had planned. We just needed to rethink the terms, right? The salesman pushed his pressure tactics into high gear. We faltered….And then God sent a representative, an employee for the company who also happened to be a sister in Christ. She was in the room as we explained to the salesman that we had prayed about the decision and were now hesitant to move forward. She asked the man to leave and essentially confirmed for us what God was already revealing…that we needed to walk away.

So we did.

This morning, we did our due diligence; researching the offer that sounded so much like a dream come true yesterday. What did we find? Reports of fraud, scams, and unethical practices flooded our search results, and we read about class action lawsuits and whistleblowers from inside the company.

God saved us, and prevented us from making what could have been a disastrous spur-of-the-moment decision.

The lesson? Pray. About. Everything. Seek His direction before EVERY big decision, and wait for His response (because He WILL respond one way or the other). Don’t allow yourself to be pressured or rushed. That is not of God. He calls us to make decisions with wisdom and discernment, and that often takes time. Once you receive your answer, do not waiver, do not doubt. Trust that God can see far more than you can in that moment, and that His disappointing “No” to your petition may really be His way of protecting you from journeying down a treacherous path.

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One other note: The salesman claimed to know God when he found us praying, and sought to bond with us over that commonality. However, he showed his true colors when our “yes” turned into a “no.” Not everyone who claims to know God truly knows Him. Be on guard.

Additional Scriptures (emphasis mine)

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 – “…but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.”

James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Proverbs 3:13 – “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.”

 

Photo 1 obtained from https://rocwomensprisonministry.wordpress.com/2010/01/25/a-mighty-strong-tower-protector-of-my-soul/

Photo 2 obtained from http://www.tellthelordthankyou.com/blog/2018/5/6/proverbs-1810-the-lord-our-god-is-a-strong-tower