On Moving Mountains

"...I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."- Matthew 17:20

I had this verse written on my left hand as I went in for knee surgery on April 28, 2008, because I was absolutely convinced that my faith was surely as big enough as a mustard seed, therefore when the doctors opened my knee, they wouldn't have to replace my ACL because God would have miraculously healed it. 

Well, imagine my disappointment when 5 hours later in the recovery room I groggily hear my doctor tell me that my ACL was indeed completely torn and they had to replace it. Now, a mustard seed is tiny- smaller than a sesame seed, bigger than a poppy seed. I surely thought I had at least that much faith and that my "mountain" would move. 

I was convinced that my mountain was my injury, and if I prayed hard enough to move my mountain, that was the same thing as getting my injury healed. Since my surgery, I've prayed for God to move this mountain or this mountain... sometimes I think my prayers work (the mountain gets moved according to Sarah) but a lot of the times I found myself frustrated- God I have faith! Why isn't this mountain moving!? ("The way I want it to" is often tacked on the end of that prayer). 

One night shortly after surgery I was praying and felt the Lord explaining to me that maybe the mountain is something different. I (we?) tend to look at the mountain as the broken heart, the injury, the loss, the trials... and maybe we think that moving the mountain is fixing the broken heart, healing the injury, bringing back the loss, or taking away the trials. 

But what if the mountain is actually something (aside from our problem) that is hindering us from keeping our eyes on Jesus? Instead of seeing the mountain as our problem, maybe the mountain is what's keeping us from focusing on the One who will help us through our problem? 

I firmly believe that Jesus moves mountains every day—people are healed against all odds, marriages find restoration, and God provides daily. I do believe that this verse can be taken in its simplest form—that faith will move mountains and we will see miracles happen.

But I also know the anger and frustration that can come from having faith and not seeing the mountain moved in the way I thought it should (as was the case with my torn ACL). I believe that Scripture applies to every situation, and I think that sometimes moving our mountain means that our problem is not solved the way we would like to see it solved.  In these situations, maybe moving our mountain means moving the obstacle that is keeping our focus from Jesus and understanding that God is indeed moving mountains that we simply cannot yet see. By moving the mountain hindering our view of Jesus, we will find a restorative peace because we are once again focused on the One who has the power to heal. By refocusing on Jesus, we are reminded that he is always moving mountains on our behalf, even if we cannot yet see them moving.

What mountain is hindering your view of the One who heals and restores? Maybe this mountain looks like anger, frustration, or hopelessness. Whatever mountain is preventing you from focusing on Jesus, surrender that mountain to the Lord. Focus on Him and find peace in knowing that He is moving many mountains on your behalf. Continue on faithfully trusting and believing in a God who has power to restore, heal, and redeem. Gaze upon His face; don’t let any mountains get in the way; let Him hold your hand and walk with you in the journey, strengthening your faith so that, indeed, you will have faith as small as a mustard seed.

What mountains are you facing? What mountains have you faced? What mountains has God moved for you?