I am a firm believer that we can walk away from every Sunday service with a nugget of truth that ministers to our soul and spirit. We might glean it from something in the message, or a phrase in a song. We might gather it from something someone says to us or hear the whisper of God when we are praying.
We can walk away with that nugget if we go in expecting to find it. That happened last Sunday. The message centered around fear. And right in the middle of it, I heard the pastor say … “Both fear and faith can move mountains. Fear moves the mountain into our path, faith moves it away.”
Suddenly I had a mental image of some of the mountains that have blocked my path over the years. I don’t think I spent much time wondering how the mountain got there, I was more concerned about how to get the mountain out of there!
Remember the event with the father and son following Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain? The disciples had been unable to do anything to relieve the boy’s distress. After Jesus set the boy free, the disciples questioned Him about their inability. His response told them why.
“’Because of your little faith,’ He told them. ‘For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” [Matthew 17:20 HCSB]
I always focused on working on getting that “mustard seed” faith to move my mountains. I never considered what part of my thinking (fear usually) put that mountain there in the first place. But I sure will consider my thinking going forward thanks to Pastor Jerrad last Sunday.
That was my nugget, and it was a good one.
