“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.’” (Matthew 17:6 NIV)

Travelling through the mountains offers many fabulous views.  One of the ones which I find most inspiring is encountering the Bison.  You can see the males from a great distance away.  Suddenly your eye will discern this large dark speck amidst the landscape and you wonder, what is that?  As you draw closer it begins to take shape.  Eventually you are near enough to realize 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 traveler.  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 I read stated that Bison calves weigh between 30-50 pounds at birth whereas new born calves generally weight 70-80 pounds.

Those tiny little Bison calves however, eventually grow into 1100-2000 pounds adults, able to defend themselves against the fiercest predators including man.

I think faith is a lot like those tiny Bison babies.  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 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 I desired.  I learned that faith isn’t something I 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 my own.  It’s about giving Him that tiny mustard seed of faith 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 strength but in His.  In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Lynne Phipps