Justin Tucker, LHBC Worship Pastor
Mark 11:23-24
I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.
So I won’t be shaken
I won’t be moved
My God is faithful
His promise is true
So I speak to the mountains
Oh, it’s time to move
Cause my God is bigger, better, stronger, greater than you
This summer some of our worship team had an amazing opportunity to attend a worship conference in Nashville. It was an awesome time for us to take a break from leading every week and be poured into by worship leaders from all over the country. It was a truly refreshing time for all of us. While we were there we heard so many new songs and this one really spoke to my heart. Since March of 2020, I have had conversations with so many people that have felt like something in their life has been stolen from them, or that their dreams have died, or that their hope and joy has wavered. They have felt that at every turn some sort of mountain or obstacle has either been in their way or blocked them from pursuing the things that their heart desires. This song was a reminder to me that through faith in Jesus and that through faith-filled prayer, the Holy Spirit fills us with a power that can move those mountains right out of our way.
This song reminded me to cling to 2 Timothy 1:7 that says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” It was a reminder that there’s no mountain too high, no valley too low. There’s no fear that I have, He doesn’t already know. There’s no problem too big, there’s no weapon too strong. There is nothing for God that’s impossible. There is nothing that He can’t do. The biggest issue in the Western Church culture is that we have become self-reliant instead of being reliant on God. So many of us only ask God to move mountains or to heal disease or restore the things that we have lost after we have tried and failed on our own. We have turned God into our contingency plan instead of our only plan. We have treated prayer as a “break glass in case of emergency” tool instead of the mode to increase our faith and intimacy with our Heavenly Father. Our lack of willingness to go to Him first, to trust in His promises, to rest in His love, to believe in His faithfulness…leave us paralyzed in fear and with what looks like an insurmountable obstacle in our way. Friends, I want to encourage you today. If you are a follower of Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit lives within you and if you tell that mountain to move in Jesus’ name…it has no choice but to move. But you must do it in faith. There can be no room for doubt in your heart. Our faith doesn’t limit the ability of God to move and do whatever you ask for in life. Our faith, or lack of faith, does affect His willingness to make whatever movement we are asking for to happen.
So the next time you find yourself with a mountain in your way, don’t be paralyzed in fear. Be filled with faith, cast out all doubts, and in Jesus’ name…tell that mountain to move because our God is bigger, better, stronger, greater than you.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father God, thank you for loving me. Thank you for never giving up on me. Forgive me for the times that my faith is lacking. Forgive me for the times that I think that I can handle the mountains in my life better than You can. Jesus, thank you for our humble, obedient, and sacrificial life that You lived so that we could have a way to be reconciled back to the Father. Thank you for going to the cross to take the punishment for my sin and thank you for defeating death and the grave for us. Thank you for being the name above all names. The only name by which the mountains can move, the only name that can restore, the only name that can save. Holy Spirit, teach us to trust and be people of faith. Fill us up so we can stand in Your power, love, and sound judgement. Give us wisdom and discernment to remember to always rely on You first. Humble our hearts to break our self-reliance and let us be reliant on You. God, we love You and we thank you that Your mercies are new each morning. In Jesus’ name, amen.
MEMORY VERSE FOR THE WEEK:
Romans 10:15
And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!