Day 86: Baby Seeds and Big Revivals

“Because of your little faith,” he told them. “For truly I tell 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

I love that Jesus uses a mustard seed—the smallest seed known to man and sown in agriculturally-oriented Israel—to illustrate the power of faith. It gives me, a woman whose faith sometimes shrinks to about that same dinky dimension, great hope.

A few months ago, my dear friend Paige and I were nearing the end of a long hike in Radnor Lake State Park, and although it had been an uncomfortably hot and humid day, my steps were still bouncier than when we started walking. Because about midway through the hike I’d confessed a crooked place in my heart and Paige had encouraged me with a familiar (but powerful!) biblical reminder—“he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6 niv).

She’d reminded me that although sometimes I feel about as stable as a top-heavy Christmas tree in a stand with one screw, God will be faithful to complete what He began in my heart forty-plus years ago when I walked an aisle in a small Baptist church and gave my heart to Jesus.

Then, just about the time I was going to joyfully challenge her to a race since we only had about a quarter mile to go, I looked up to see a physician I’ve known for about twenty years walking toward us with sadness etched across his face. He seemed startled when I greeted him, and then it was as if seeing someone familiar knocked the stool of propriety out from under him, because huge tears began rolling down his face.

After we asked a few gentle questions, he explained that he was devastated over the death of his dad and it had caused a lot of soul-searching, which eventually led to him questioning his own worth as a man. His broad shoulders and voice literally shook when he said, “I know God loves me and all but when I look back over the course of my life, I don’t feel like I’ve got anything significant to show for it and I’m afraid He’s disappointed in me.”

Largely because I was still floating on my own little cloud of spiritual refreshment, I looked directly into his eyes and asked boldly, “Dr. Smith (not his real name, of course), may we pray for you right now?” When he nodded in agreement (he probably didn’t think he had much of a choice in the matter), Paige and I went to town! I mean we prayed heaven down on that dear man! All the while other hikers were walking past wide-eyed and giving us a huge berth, Paige and I were bellowing God’s promises with glad authority:

For He created your inmost being, Dr. Smith! He knit you together in your mama’s womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made because God’s works are wonderful—we know that full well. (Ps. 139:13–14 rlv Radnor Lake Version, as we like to call it)

He’s close to the broken-hearted, Dr. Smith. Especially on days like today when you feel crushed, you can count on God’s presence. (Ps. 34:18 rlv)

You can hold your head UP, Dr. Smith, because there’s now therefore no shame or condemnation for those of us who’ve put our hope in Jesus Christ! (Rom. 8:1 rlv)

By the time we said “Amen,” Dr. Smith wasn’t crying anymore, and we were all wearing revival grins. You can’t tell me our God doesn’t make majestic, praiseworthy mountains out of mere mustard seeds because I’ve seen it happen!

• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a mustard seed and 10 being a watermelon, how would you rate the size of your faith this season?
• How have you seen God use a granule of your faith for good?
• Who in your life might need reminding that God will complete His good work in them?