You Need a Pothole? The Heart of the Matter, Part 13 (Our Response)
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to
him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek
him." (Heb 11:6 NIV)
Would it be possible for us to make a perfectly round hole in a solid mountain
rock? Shovels and pickaxes wouldn't be of much help, nor would our bare hands.
Dynamite sure would be handy, but would likely not leave a perfectly round hole.
If only we had one of those mega drills that tunnels are made off! But now that
I think about it, no tunnels were ever dug in ancient times. Bridges yes, but no
tunnels. It was humanly impossible!
If we can't even make a round hole in a solid rock, how can we even consider
moving mountains?
But Jesus was adamant that we could! When asked by his disciples why they could
not drive out a demon from a boy (See Matt 17:19), His response was
revolutionary: "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.'" (Matt 17:20 NIV)
Nothing is impossible to us if we have faith as small as a mustard seed.
Unfortunately, we don't even seem to have that little amount of faith! All too
often, impossibilities remain impossible for us.
Is it possible that we are relying way too much on ourselves and not enough on
God? Is it possible that our impatience hinders us from experiencing God fully?
Visit the Adirondacks or the Finger Lakes region in New York
state and learn from
nature itself. Here you can view naturally-made, perfectly round holes in solid
rock. These holes are called potholes, and interestingly, water and sand, the
two elements that form them, never bother to wonder whether or not it is
possible to do what they do! They just do it!
Notice the eddies or the whirlpools along the shore of a fast flowing river. At
first little particles of sand carried by the water will grind away at the rock
until, over time, a small depression is created. As the hole grows, it
eventually becomes large enough to trap larger pebbles. These in turn will
continue to grind away at the rock. As the hole continues to grow, it starts
trapping even bigger stones, which, in turn, also swirl around away until they
also become round as they grind away all the remaining rough spots on the sides
and bottom of this hole. And so, a perfectly round hole is created.
Nature itself teaches us that the impossible is possible. Even more so if we put
our faith in the One who specializes in the impossible.
"What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Luke 18:27 NIV)
To have faith means to stop relying on our own two hands and on our minds, and
instead to reach out to and rely solely on the One who is far above the
impossible. Faith is setting aside our worries and focusing instead on the One
who can take care of our circumstances. Faith is truly the perfect way to
respond to the amazing love God has bestowed towards each one of us. Who else
but our God can we truly trust?
One of our volunteers just send me this email, demonstrating that faith leads to
making the impossible possible.
"This morning when I awoke, this verse loomed in front of me 'When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.' Ps56:3. I wondered why, as I hurried down the street all
bundled up for the cold weather. All of a sudden a Mercedes made a U turn
blocking my path as its front wheels got on the sidewalk I was walking on. A big
man whom I'd never seen in my life was in the car and he said, 'I'd like to give
you a ride. What's your name?' I said 'NO thank you!' And started walking away
fast. The car ran alongside me and the man inside kept on talking trying to get
my attention. I started praying. 'Lord preserve me. I want to be pure for you
and for the one you choose me to be with in the future.' As I was finishing my
prayer, the car sped off in a hurry. The Lord heard! Then and only then did
verse 56:3 make sense this morning. Praise God! He is a faithful and loving
father and I will not be afraid. (This really happened yesterday on Kearny a
block from the corner on Westside.)
Candy"
"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the
stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps 27:1 NIV)
Fear or faith is a choice. The impossible can truly become possible, but only if
we put our trust in God.
Rob Chaffart