Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Phillips Brooks
Moving a Mountain
Jesus once spoke about faith, saying, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of 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). This is not something we do but something God does through us if we trust in Him because “with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). The Creator God of the Universe declares, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me” (Jeremiah 32:27), with the obvious answer being that nothing is too hard for God.
Praying for Strength
When we face seemingly insurmountable tasks, we can look at a mountain and just give up; but we can move mountains if we have faith in God (Matthew 17:20). And if God strengthens us, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). For the church at Colossae, Paul prayed, “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11). Moving a mountain can be done with God’s strength; but we must remember that even a mountain can be moved–just one rock at a time.
Praying for Wisdom
It is true that we should work smarter and not just harder. But why not pray for God’s wisdom if you lack it? And I think most of us do lack at least some wisdom. James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity” (Proverbs 2:6-7). Since God is the source of wisdom, go to Him when faced with tasks that seem insurmountable.
Conclusion
When I went to college many years ago, I got in the habit of doing all the hardest assignments first. That way, I wouldn’t leave the hardest for the very last when my brain was drained the most. God gives us wisdom, and I think that’s what He would have me do. So pray for God’s increasing of your faith, for God’s strength, and for God’s wisdom; and pray for power equal to your tasks.
