The Daily Devotional of The Upper Room Devotion of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "How to Move a Mountain" for Monday, 4 April 2016 with Scripture Text Matthew 17:14 As they came up to the crowd, a man approached Yeshua, kneeled down in front of him, 15 and said, “Sir, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and has such terrible fits that he often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your talmidim, but they couldn’t heal him.” 17 Yeshua answered, “Perverted people, without any trust! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!” 18 Yeshua rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, so that from that moment he was healed.
19 Then the talmidim went to him privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because you have such little trust! Yes! I tell you that if you have trust as tiny as a mustard seed, you will be able to say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there!’ and it will move; indeed, nothing will be impossible for you!” 21 [Matthew 17:21 Some manuscripts include verse 21: But this kind does not go out except through prayer and fasting.”]
If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.[Matthew 17:20 (NRSV)]
A church I know in West Virginia needed the mountain behind their building moved so that they could build a parking lot. The pastor declared a “Move-the-Mountain Sunday,” a concerted effort of prayer during the morning service. But alas, on Monday morning the mountain was still there. However, so was an official from the state highway department wanting to remove part of the mountain behind the church. “We need several thousand tons of fill dirt for a road project,” he informed the church staff.
Throughout scripture, we see God and humans cooperating to perform miracles. In Mark 2:1-5, the friends of a lame man knew they couldn’t heal him, but they did what they could do; they tore up the roof and lowered him in front of Jesus. In other examples such as Jesus’ feeding of the multitudes, the disciples may not have been able to multiply loaves and fishes as he did, but they could distribute the food and collect the leftovers. (See Matt. 14:19-21.)
Each of us will face a mountain at some time or another. In these times, rather than moving a mountain for us, God may provide a shovel — or the state highway department!
The Author: James N. Watkins (Indiana, USA)
Thought for the Day: What tools has God provided me today to help move a mountain?
Prayer: Dear God of miracles, show us what part we can play for you to “move mountains” in our lives. Amen.
A church I know in West Virginia needed the mountain behind their building moved so that they could build a parking lot. The pastor declared a “Move-the-Mountain Sunday,” a concerted effort of prayer during the morning service. But alas, on Monday morning the mountain was still there. However, so was an official from the state highway department wanting to remove part of the mountain behind the church. “We need several thousand tons of fill dirt for a road project,” he informed the church staff.
Throughout scripture, we see God and humans cooperating to perform miracles. In Mark 2:1-5, the friends of a lame man knew they couldn’t heal him, but they did what they could do; they tore up the roof and lowered him in front of Jesus. In other examples such as Jesus’ feeding of the multitudes, the disciples may not have been able to multiply loaves and fishes as he did, but they could distribute the food and collect the leftovers. (See Matt. 14:19-21.)
Each of us will face a mountain at some time or another. In these times, rather than moving a mountain for us, God may provide a shovel — or the state highway department!
The Author: James N. Watkins (Indiana, USA)
Thought for the Day: What tools has God provided me today to help move a mountain?
Prayer: Dear God of miracles, show us what part we can play for you to “move mountains” in our lives. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone who is discouraged---------------------
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