Mountain Moving Faith

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 14:18). This was the Lord’s answer to Abraham when Sarah laughed. The text reveals that Sarah was nearly 90, far passed the age of child bearing. Yet God promised that she would have a child. This promise came true in the birth of Isaac (Gen. 21:3).

Although we often recognize God as omnipotent, we rarely treat Him as such. We often forget that God can do whatever He wants whenever He wants. It is not that we do not live in an age of miracles. It is just that we do not live in an age where miracles are done by men. But God still is in the miracle business. Souls are saved. Healing occurs. Prayers are answered.

On at least one occasion, when miracles were still being done by men through the power of the Spirit, the apostles failed to cast a demon out of a child (Matt. 17:16). Jesus responded, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” (Matt. 17:17). After rebuking the demon, He continued, “…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 will be impossible for you” (Matt. 17:20).

This answer of Jesus to His disciples was in response to their question concerning why they had failed in casting out the demon. He told them they didn’t have enough faith (Matt. 17:20). We often find ourselves in a similar position. We must understand that faith believes in the seemingly unreal, unseen, unnatural impossibilities that are possible with God (Matt. 19:26).

A Biblical examination of the heroes of faith (Heb. 11) reveals some characteristics of these great people. One was their willingness to be obedient to God. Another was their decision to believe in God’s ability despite the conditions that stood in opposition to His promises. Noah built an ark though it had never rained. Abraham left his homeland for the land of promise which he had never seen, looking for his descendants though without an heir. Moses chose the slavery of Israel rather than life in a palace that ruled the world. They did these things because they believed in the power of God. They knew God could change current circumstances. They trusted that He loved them enough to change them.

Even Christians struggle to find mountain moving faith. When the doctors tell us the illness is terminal, or that our wives will never give birth, we need to remember God is in control. This is the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is the faith we seek. This is mountain moving faith. The answer to the question, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”….. “No!” 

"(as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." ~ (Romans 4:17-18)