Luke 17:6 – He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." (NIV)

Travelling through the mountains offers many fabulous views. One which I find most inspiring is when I encounter the bison. You can see the males from a great distance away. Suddenly, your eye will discern this large dark spot in the landscape and you wonder, What is that? As you draw closer, it begins to take shape. Eventually, you are near enough to realize that it is this huge and magnificent creature called a bison. Their size and strength are formidable, totally awesome, and not something to take lightly as a traveller. If they are occupying the road, you wait patiently at a distance until they decide to move on, and then and only then is it safe to proceed.

Yet, these great creatures didn't begin this way. As we journeyed this spring, we saw several newborn bison calves, and I was astounded at just how tiny they were. One article that I read stated that bison calves weigh between 30-50 pounds at birth whereas newborn cow calves generally weigh 70-80 pounds.

However, those little bison calves eventually grow into 1,100- to 2,000-pound adults, able to defend themselves against the fiercest predators, including man.

I think that faith looks a lot like those tiny bison calves. It may not look like much when we first begin to believe in Christ by faith, but it has the potential to grow and mature into something that has the power to defend us against the mightiest foes that this world sends against our way.

I remember, as a young Christian, being so uncertain concerning what God could or couldn't do and what I should or shouldn't ask of Him. As I studied and grew spiritually, however, I experienced just how dependable and faithful God was as I prayed and trusted Him for the best answer, instead of trusting in myself to bring about the answer that I desired. I learned that faith isn't something that we can conjure up; it simply comes from trusting and relying upon God one day at a time. It's about learning to face obstacles and challenges, no matter how overwhelming they may seem, one moment, one hour at a time in His strength and through His wisdom, rather than our own. It's about giving Him that tiny mustard seed of faith that we have and then watching Him grow it into something large enough to empower us to face and overcome whatever we may encounter in this life.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for Jesus and how our dependence upon Him grows our faith one day at a time, empowering us to do the impossible, not in our own strength but in His. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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