As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 21 Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. 23 “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. Mark 11:20-24 (NAS)
Faith in God . . . Now there’s a concept worthy of consideration. In John 3:16, God truly meant that one who believes in Jesus as the Savior will receive eternal life. This faith is not simply that one believes in the Son, it also includes believing the Father meant what He said.
“Now faith is the substance of our hoping, the evidence of our undertaking and not of our seeing” Hebrews 11:1 (my translation). Faith includes both belief and action based on the hope expected from believing/acting.
Note that Mark records a physical event (i.e., a tree withered and died as a result of the Lord’s word). Despite Christianity’s habit of spiritualizing this event, it concerns physical things. Certainly, we may speak to spiritual obstacles in our lives and they will be removed, BUT we may properly conclude from the Lord’s words that we can speak to physical obstacles and they will be removed. The key is believing that Jesus meant it when He said, “whosoever says to this mountain . . . And does not doubt in his/her heart, but believes that what he/she says is going to happen . . .” Speak to that mountain in your life, spiritual or physical, and believe that it is being removed as you speak.
Dear Father, thank you for mountain-moving faith. Enrich our hoping that we might truly believe and act as those things which are not would become reality. In the name of Jesus I pray. AMEN
Be encouraged today by your faith in God,