mustard seed Faith

Have you ever had to believe for something and found yourself doubtfully wondering if your faith would suffice to the size of a mustard seed?

 

After all, doesn’t the bible say it is the faith of a mustard seed that can move mountains? 

 

 …if you have faith and do not doubt,…  you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. (Matt. 21:21 NKJV)

 

 

How do we attain faith that does not doubt when we don’t have to look far to recognize doubt and unbelief so naturally present?  

 

Jesus’ followers came to him with the same request…

 

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5 NKJV)

 

Jesus begins his response by relating it to the growth of a mustard seed.  

 

It is the smallest of all seeds…

 

Turns out the mustard seed stage is just the beginning “seedling” phase of your faith.  It’s lifeless and

small, so small in fact that you can’t even tell it’s there.  

 

…but when it has grown, it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”  (Matt. 13:32 ESV)

 

As the seedling that has all the potential it needs to grow. Your faith, though small and very weak, also needs to grow.  God will provide day-to-day opportunity for it to grow. 

The more it grows, the more unbelief it crowds out, essentially removing all doubt.  Jesus goes on to affirm that when fully grown, your faith will even become a source of comfort to others.

 

Jesus provides additional backing with again likening it to yeast that starts very small but eventually consumes the entire dough…

 

…also…is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” (vs. 33)