Matthew 21: 18 Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
As I’m sitting here meditating on the words within this passage, there are a few thoughts that I had running through my mind.
First, I’m thinking of how proactive we are in our everyday lives to be prepared for our opportunities, before they come knocking at the door. Are we getting our minds and bodies prepared for what God has in store for us? We all are presented in life with opportunities, but often times, we have not prepared ourselves and so, they pass us by and we’re often never met with the same opportunity again in the future.
Here, Jesus was hungry, but the fig tree had no fruit. Jesus realized that this fig tree had nothing to offer, so he banned it from bearing fruit again and so it withered. It’s scary to think, but could we be banned for not bringing fruit to the kingdom of God? Could we be viewed in God’s eyes as a being without purpose, without good potential for bearing fruit?
When Jesus wants to present us with an opportunity, are we up in the club missing out? Are we where we don’t need to be? Are we not planting the right seed in our own lives to ensure we capitalize on these opportunities when they are right in front of us?
How many times do we beat ourselves up, having little faith that we can actually accomplish our goals and objectives. We think others have all the luck and only a select few get the ‘right' opportunities in life. For those that are financially broke, you keep telling your friends and family that you can’t afford to do anything because you’re broke. You’ve got little faith to take steps forward to ensure that you get on a better financial footing and begin to accomplish your goals and dreams. You speak negatives into being, instead of believing in the positives and telling your mountains to move into the sea.
Jesus wants to bless us all today, He wants us to bear plenty of fruits in our lives. In the passage above, we learn that our faith is extremely powerful. Jesus tells us that if we have faith without doubt, we can move mountains. If we BELIEVE, we will receive whatever we ask for in prayer.
What’s the mountain standing in your way right now? What has you down today? Is it financial? Is it your health? What need is holding you back today? Are you in an abusive relationship? Are you struggling trying to find a job? Are you about to lose your home to foreclosure? Are you and your spouse on the edge?
Have faith and believe that with the power of Jesus living in you through the Holy Spirit, you can move your mountain today. I believe that God has a purpose for you, but He wants you to push through the adversity standing in your way. He wants you to have faith and believe.
Do you believe?
I’m on a mission this week to move a mountain that has been standing in my way all year. I’ve been planning to finish an eBook that I had begun writing at the end of last year, and I’m determined to get it done this month. Please keep me in your prayers for my discipline and focus to push me ahead and help me get my writing completed in the next 3 weeks.