Have you ever taking time to watch ants while they are gathering food?

Ants are little but very strong and they don’t hesitate to use their strength.  They can carry 10 – 50 times their body weight! Because they are small, their muscles are thicker compared to their body size and they produce more force compared to other animals.  These remarkable insects appear to have little strength but in reality they are powerhouses.

As believers, we are somewhat like the ant.  We are great powerhouses for the Lord, filled with His Holy Spirit, but, sometimes our daily efforts are hindered because we exercise little faith.

Let’s read God’s word in Matthew 17:19-20 (NIV):

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. 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.

Jesus is rebuking His disciples for having little faith.  They had sincerely wanted to help a little boy possessed by a demon; however, they seemingly gave up and took on the attitude of doubt.  The disciples had placed borders around their faith…much like we do, so often.

A person with little faith will believe God only if life is how they want it.  However, the moment their life flips and trouble falls on them, they begin to second guess God’s ways and fear He’s left them alone.

God wants us to have great faith that is persistent and never gives up on Him, no matter what the circumstance.

Ironically, Jesus describes this great faith as mustard seed faith.  A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds to plant in a garden; however, once it’s dug deep in good soil it grows into an enormous tree – sometimes up to six feet tall!

Mustard seed faith isn’t little faith, but great faith that grows to enormous heights when it is firmly planted in a heart that is determined to trust God in all circumstances.

Mustard seed faith believes God can move any mountainous obstacle that seems impossible to overcome.  The promise is sure…if we have little faith, God will grow it into enormous faith if we only trust and believe.

How does your faith measure?  Is it little faith or is it faith like a strong mustard seed? 

As we continue our walk toward spiritual growth, let’s ask God for mustard seed faith that grows stronger while we trust in Him.

In the middle of the night they took Him.

The religious leaders were after Jesus for a while and when the opportunity presented itself, they arrested Him and took Him immediately to the High priest to be tried.

Peter, whose name means “rock”, was there. His story is found in Luke 22.  He had given up everything to follow Jesus for three years.  Now, his world was crumbling into pieces because his Lord was taken.

Peter trailed in the background, watching, waiting, and wondering, “How could this be… What will they do…Will they arrest me too?”

And in the uncertain dark night, as the flames from a kindled fire cast just enough light, a servant girl watched Peter and said “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!” In haste, Peter denies and says, “Woman, I don’t even know him!”

Later, another bystander said, “You must be one of them!” “No, man, I’m not!” Peter replied.

Yet, another said, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean.” And again Peter cries, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!”

A rooster crows in the distance and Jesus turns his gaze upon Peter.

It was then, Peter remembered Jesus’ warning, “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny me three times.” Instead of being courageous and bold, Peter shrunk back in fear.  Overwhelmed by the sting of failure, Peter ran weeping bitterly (Luke 22:31- 62).

Have you ever allowed the fear of man to hinder your witness for Jesus?  Were you ever silent about your identity as a believer because you were unsure how others would accept you?  Did your heart grieve when you refused to live out loud for Christ?

We all will disappoint God sometimes.

Yet, God will shower us with His grace and mercy … and offer us a second chance.  Jesus did this for Peter when he appointed him to, “feed [His] sheep” Peter was restored and encouraged to forget his failure and move forward to preach the gospel (John 21:15-19).

This is great encouragement for us as believers who fail to represent God well.

Isaiah 43:18 -19 says, “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”

If you are grieving because you should’ve been bolder in your Christian witness, then repent from your sin and move forward in the Lord.  We serve a loving God of second chances.