"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." (Matt 17:20 NIV)
James (that may or may not have been his name) wrested with doubt as he stared
at this Bible text. But then he made a firm decision: "The next time I am
confronted with the impossible, I will claim that mustard seed kind of faith and
reveal God's glory!"
The next day, as he was waiting impatiently at a bus stop, he heard yelling in
the alley behind him. Then there was a loud bang, followed by complete silence.
He knew beyond a doubt that someone had been shot. "I had better stay out of
this!" he thought to himself.
But for some reason, the words of Matthew 17:20 popped back into his mind and he
remembered his promise of the night before. With hesitation, he stepped into the
alley to face a gang of youngsters. Feeling much like David standing before
Goliath, he tremblingly approached the man lying in the dirt. Soft moans bubbled
up from his mouth as he clutched his chest. Blood tainted both his shirt and his
left arm. It was obvious that he had been shot in the chest.
Looking around quickly, James realized that all eyes were upon him. Several of
the youngsters still had switchblades and other intriguing weapons in their
hands. "This is not a good place to be," he muttered to himself. But he had to
keep his promise, even in the midst of adversity. He knelt down by the hurt
individual and laid his hand on the man's chest.
"Loco!" screamed one of the youngsters behind him.
"Why did I put myself in this situation?" he mumbled, then he quickly prayed
that he would be able to show his mustard seed of faith. His hands trembled as
he whispered: "In the name of our Lord Jesus rise up!"
As James looked down at the moaning man in front of him, the eyes of the
gangsters widened with amazement at his audacity. James quietly lifted the hand
that clutched the chest, sure that he would now see whole flesh. But his eyes
widened in fear as he realized that the wound was, indeed, still there, and if
anything, it was bleeding even more profusely than it had been before. No
miraculous healing had occurred! Looking around him, he said in a voice that
trembled with emotion: "Someone go and call an ambulance!" Then he slumped over
in utter defeat.
James' "mountain" hadn't moved. Why? Hadn't he show at least a mustard seed kind
of faith? How many believers would even put themselves in a similar situation?
Why didn't God answer his prayer?
Most of us can relate to James' situation. I mean, don't we all show at least a
mustard seed kind of faith from time to time? Don't we all step out in faith
once in awhile, only to fail miserably?
Is it possible that for many of us, the Kingdom isn't a reality? It is possible
that we are so blinded by the world that the unseen spiritual realities seem
surreal to us? I mean, let's be real here. How many of us have actually
witnessed gunshot victims coming back to life? It's not the norm, is it? And how
many of us have actually seen lame legs mended and blind eyes opened? Why are
healing crusades so much more successful in third world countries than in our
own home nation?
Is it possible that we may believe in God's willingness to heal, but that we
don't accept the possibility that this can be done through our own hands?
But wait. If the power plug works with certain believers, why doesn't it work in
our own hands? Have we plugged it into the wrong outlet?
The Bible gives us two reasons why we face this dilemma: Lack of faith, and lack
of dependence.
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth."
(John 16:13 NIV)
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been
doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the
Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring
glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
(John 14:12-14 NIV)
Faith and dependence on God are intertwined. The two cannot exist without one
another. If we do not depend on God's Spirit for guidance, but rely on ourselves
instead, we will end up facing a dead end, no matter how noble our motives may
be. If we have even the tiniest doubt about God's mercy and power, we are doomed
for frustration and disappointment, because without these two essential
elements, we have allowed ourselves to become deprived of the authority God gave
us. Our power plug must be two-pronged: One prong must be connected into God's
Spirit for guidance and direction; the other must be connected into faith in
God.
Notice the results when our two-pronged plug is connected with the right
outlets: "Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and
were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the
streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might
fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around
Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of
them were healed." (Acts 5:14-16 NIV)
We have power in Christ! Let's plug into the right outlet and use it! Life will
dramatically change when God's reality becomes more real to us than the
realities of this world!
P. S. Anyone wants to help poor James in the alley? He could sure use it!
P. S.S. Just like Job, some may wonder why they remain unhealed. This is another
topic altogether, but the answer can be found in the book of Job. Just remember
this: If you are kingdom bound, you WILL be healed one day. Never doubt that!
God is with you, and you will face eternity without infirmity. This is a
guarantee!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.