Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 13, 2016
By Tripp Prince
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. Luke 17:5-6
Have you ever found the journey of discipleship to be a great challenge? If so, take heart, you’re on the right path! When Jesus’ apostles asked him to increase their faith, it wasn’t because they were unfaithful or turning away from the way of Jesus. No, their prayer for increased faith is precisely a sign that they were beginning to understand the true nature of what Jesus was asking of them.
This prayer from the apostles comes immediately after Jesus asks them to do a hard thing: forgive those who have hurt you. I believe these early disciples fully understood that Jesus was asking them to do hard things and as a result realized that in and of themselves they were hopelessly inadequate for the task. This was true in their day, and it is equally true in ours.
There are times in your life when Jesus will ask you to do very hard things. You may have to endure an uninvited physical ailment. You may have to sacrifice comfort and personal fulfillment in the service of God’s Kingdom. You may be asked to live in close, meaningful relationships with people who are a source of consistent conflict and interpersonal challenge. The list could go on and on. Jesus knows these are challenging situations. He isn’t surprised by them or trying to sugar coat it. Yet, his response in Luke’s gospel is profound. Jesus fully acknowledges the difficulty and yet says faith makes the impossible possible.
As seemingly impossible as it is to uproot a mulberry tree simply with your words, so too will the presence of faith give you the strength and ability to encounter God’s grace and love in any and every situation. As we seek God’s wisdom for our lives, we must be willing to see the countless ways that Jesus is inviting us into a deeper walk with him, even though this depth may be challenging and uncomfortable. As such, we must join our hearts with the apostles and boldly pray, “Lord, increase our faith!”
Prayer
Father, increase our faith that we may faithfully follow you wherever you may lead us, always trusting in your good and faithful care. Amen.Application
What hard thing is Jesus asking you to do today?Related Reading
Psalm 23; Matthew 7:13-14; Galatians 5:25, 6:14; Hebrews 11Post/Tweet today
There are times in our life when Jesus will ask us to do very hard things, and He will give us the faith to finish. #WisdomHunters #IncreaseOurFaithWorship Resource
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