Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Nehemiah 10-13
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 17:6
Jesus (pointing to a nearby mulberry tree): It’s not like you need a huge amount of faith. If you just had faith the size of a single, tiny mustard seed, you could say to this huge tree, “Pull up your roots and replant yourself in the sea,” and it would fly through the sky and do what you said. So even a little faith can accomplish the seemingly impossible.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
Jesus talks about faith a lot. And He talks about how little faith it takes to have incredible miracles take place around you. So what is it about us that keeps us from exercising that kind of faith and seeing miracles happen today? Have we become so sophisticated in our understanding of science that we no longer believe in miracles? Do we not believe that God is still God and can twist and turn the laws of science to do what He wants the way He wants?
When you think about it, that’s really what miracles are all about. Miracles are things that seem to break the natural laws of chemistry and physics that we think govern the physical realm in which we live. God heals when doctors say there is no hope or heals faster than the medical profession says is possible. God creates assets or puts them in place in ways that seem to defy all the rules bankers and economists use in their profession.
At the beginning of creation, God put all those laws of science in place. Can’t He bend them if He wants? Can’t He set aside a rule He made or bend it to His will? He is God and existed before any of those rules came to be. He’s the One who put them in place. So if He put them in place, surely He can change them if He wants. He can use them to fit His needs. He can suspend them to make miracles happen for us. And what does it take? A little faith. Jesus says it takes faith the size of a mustard seed.
Some people tell me they just don’t have enough faith, but everyone has faith. We just don’t put it in the right thing. We have faith the sun will come up. We have faith the earth will still be spinning tomorrow. We have faith our car will start (usually). We have faith the lights will work when we flip the switch. We have faith we will get a paycheck from our employer. We have faith the government will still be in place tomorrow. We have a lot of faith.
Except for the first two about the sun coming up and the earth spinning, a lot of people around the world may not have much faith in those things. But in the United States we do. Why? Because we have experience that has shown us these things are true. But quite frankly, it’s not our experience, but the experience of thousands of others that stand together to help us have faith that these things will be true for us tomorrow.
The same is true for our faith in God. Countless have gone before us and experienced God’s goodness. They have watched Him perform miracles for His children. They have seen His faithfulness and know that He cares for us. Thousands can testify to His love and His hand at work in their lives in so many ways that can only be explained as the hand of God. That empiracle knowledge should give us confidence that translates into faith. We can believe that God will work on our behalf when we exercise faith in Him.
Faith is really that simple. It’s just a question of what we put our faith in. I’d rather put my faith in God than my car. He is certainly more reliable than my car. And my lights go out every once in a while in a storm. God never does. He’s always there in the storms of life. He never quits. He never rests. He listens to our prayers and cares for us as His dear children because we are.
Faith in Him is what He requires. Just believe. That’s all. From the deepest part of your heart believe He is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. Believe He is God. Creator. Savior. Redeemer. Believe He came and lived with us for a time in an earthly body and died on a cross for your sins and mine. Believe He rose from the dead to demonstrate His power over death and the grave. Believe Jesus, God’s Son, lives forever, one with the Father and Spirit, interceding for us. Believe. Trust Him with your life. Thousands and thousands have gone before you trusting Him and believing in Him. Their testimonies join together and give us confidence that God will not fail us either. So just believe.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.