“And Jesus answering said unto them, ‘Have faith in God.'” Mark 11:22
Dear Ones:
Probably the greatest affront to God is unbelief, or faithlessness. We see this in Jesus’ words in response to His disciples not being able to cure a father’s demon-possessed son: “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer, or bear with, you?” (Matt. 17:17) The severity of these words was certainly in part because of the authority that the Lord had given His disciples to heal and to cure the sick, and demon-possessed. However, they were not able to do so. When the disciples came aside with the Lord, they asked Him why they could not cast the cure the boy. The Lord answered: “Because of your unbelief.” (v.20) He went on to reveal to them that it was not so much a question of the quantity of faith, but the quality. That quality of faith is that which only God can give, and He gives it only according to His will, in response to a heart that truly looks to Him for it. The Lord then used the illustration of speaking to a mountain, and the natural impossibility of it being removed from its place. The key thought in this regard is “…speaking to the mountain.” Why? It is because it is when GOD speaks, or one speaks by the Spirit according to Him, in His way for His purposes, that He gives the faith, without doubting, to believe Him and receive from Him that which was asked for. For example, in the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, we find where God tells Ezekiel to speak to very many dry, lifeless, bones…asking Ezekiel if he thought that these bones could live. God tells Ezekiel what to say to the bones, as well as speaking to the wind, which would breath life into the flesh and bones. The point is that mountains can be addressed, and spoken to, but the “word” spoken must be that of the Spirit, and according to the word of God.
When Jonah was called of God to go to Nineveh, in order to speak the message of God to them, Jonah KNEW that if he preached the message that God had given to him, there would a result. He did not want that result, but he knew that God would work for its realization, because of what He was, and was willing to do. Finally, Jonah obeyed, and spoke to the “mountain,” giving the specific message of God to the people. The Ninevites repented and were spared God’s judgement.
In the book of Isaiah, he communicates the truth of God concerning the “word” of God, as the revealed will of God. He writes: “So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void (or without effect), but it shall accomplish that which please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (55:11) If a man should address a mountain, telling it to move, he could do so with the greatest expression of his voice and strength. It still would not move. But if God speaks, of Himself, or through the man by the Spirit, addressing his voice towards that which is humanly impossible, God will intervene to fulfill His word, accomplishing it. It matters not if it is a mountain to be moved, or a person to be healed. The issue is the same, God’s working and power working in and through the believer by the Spirit, in faith.
The Lord’s application of these truths is summarized, and applied, by His words in Mark’s gospel: “Therefore I say unto you, ‘What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.” (11:24) It is by knowing the word of God, trusting God for the desires of His heart, that we can come boldly before Him, pray in Faith, and receive with assurance, that for which we have prayed. We need to remember: “…it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
Dear Father, Give us the desires of Your heart, to be accomplished on this earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad