If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain...

Dear friends,
Grace and peace to you. I woke up this morning with a song in my heart. The words , "He can move the mountains, our God is mighty to save", were going through my mind. When I thought about writing this morning, I felt like I was to talk about moving mountains. I wonder if there might be some of us who are facing mountains in our lives which are hindering our destinies or the destinies of those to whom we relate. I hope these thoughts may be of some encouragement to you.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, " Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them , "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing shall be impossible for you. However this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17:19-21.

The disciples had unsuccessfully attempted to cast a demon out of a little boy. They were frustrated because they had known great success in casting out demons when Jesus had sent them out in Luke 10. They had come back rejoicing that the demons were subject to them in Jesus' name. Here they had addressed this demon and he had not moved. Jesus expressed His concern about their faithlessness and told them to bring the child to Him. He rebuked the demon and it left. Now they wanted to know why they couldn't cast it out. I don't know about you, but sometimes my problems are like that demon; I try to address them, but they don't go away. I believe there is an application for some of us today.

What was the problem? Jesus said it was their unbelief. If we do not believe it will go, it won't. Jesus did give them some comfort, though, in the fact that this was not a regular demon. He makes a distinction saying,"This kind does not go out but by prayer and fasting." One teacher that I greatly respect said that they were dealing with a prince here, a demon with a greater level of authority. Mountains in scripture often represents kingdoms or governments. The greater the mountain the greater authority, just as the mountain which filled the whole earth in the book of Daniel was the kingdom of God. This may have been a demon with ruling authority, but there was a greater authority here. Notice that Jesus did not say, "Bring the boy back in three days after I have fasted and prayed." Jesus said in Matthew 28:18 that all authority had been given unto Him. In every thing He did Jesus demonstrated the superiority of God's kingdom over the kingdom of darkness. Even so, He did not have go get prepared just because of Who He was, or where He was from, but because He lived a fasted lifestyle. He was in constant communion with the Father. His meat, His nourishment, was to do the will of the Father. He did not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhema) out of the mouth of God. Because of His kingdom lifestyle of walking in the Spirit, He was always prepared for what He might confront.

The context in which Jesus gave this statement was dealing with a demon. Many of the issues we confront on a regular basis have demonic roots. Satan does not want you to fulfill your destiny. He does not want you to know who you are. He has done everything he can to keep you from walking in the kingdom of God lifestyle. He wants you to believe the kingdom is all out there in the future somewhere.The mountain could represent demonic opposition, anything that hinders or keeps us from fulfilling our destiny and purpose here in this earth. What mountain stands before you today?

Jesus used the speaking to the mountain in another place as well. This time it was after the disciples noted that the fruitless fig tree Jesus had cursed had withered away. That passage is Mark 11:20-26. If we approach this from the context of being fruitful, then anything that stands in the way of our being fruitful in the kingdom, we can speak to in faith and expect it to move. Fruit glorifies the Father. Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be my disciples." John 15:7-8. If we are abiding in Him and His word, what do you think we will really want? It is not the heaping of treasures unto ourselves; it is bearing fruit.

What mountains stand in your way today? Some are dealing with sickness in their bodies. Some may be dealing with government authorities natural or spiritual. Some are facing a financial mountain. Whatever that mountain is that is keeping you from your destiny speak to that mountain in faith and believe it has moved. Our God is able to move mountains; He is mighty to save. May the Lord release in us today the gift of faith that we might speak to that which has hindered and see it move to the glory of our God.