Unseen Power

Unseen Power

 

“So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” – Matthew 17:20

We like to live in abundance.  We like an abundance of friends, money, clothing, time, and resources.  But sometimes God chooses to do more with less.  He chose David as a shepherd boy with only a sling and three stones to kill a mighty giant.  He chose twelve men to begin His church on this earth.  He chose five loaves of bread and two fish to feed a multitude.  When choosing Gideon’s army, God cut the size to only 300 men and won the battle.

God’s power through His Holy Spirit is unseen, but ever present.  God was there when David slung the rock into Goliath’s head.  He was with each disciple that preached the gospel.  He was there when the bread and fish was given and more was taken up than given out.  He was there when Gideon’s small army defeated Midian.

Yet, there was another force at work here too. In each event, the power of faith was at work.  David had faith that he would not need armor to defeat Goliath.  He had faith that God was enough.  The disciples didn’t load up a donkey with all their possessions to travel from town to town and preach.  They had faith that God would provide what they needed.  Jesus didn’t send fishers to catch more fish to feed the multitude.  He had faith that what God had already given was enough.  Gideon didn’t beg God for more men to do the job at hand.  He had faith that if God said 300 was enough - it was enough.

In Matthew 17 the disciples have been faced with their own weakness.  A boy was brought to them that had a demon, and though they tried, they could not cast out the demon.  Yet, Jesus did.  When the disciples asked Jesus why they were not able to do the job, His answer was “because of your unbelief” (Matthew 17:20).  They lacked one thing – faith.

God chose to put His Holy Spirit within us at the time we are saved.  He lives within us, and makes our bodies His temple (2 Corinthians 3:16).  Do you think He meant for the power of His Holy Spirit to remain silent and still as we face the trials of life?  NO!  But in order to see God’s power work in our lives, we have to believe in faith that He will do what He said He would do.  Faith says “God, I know you have got this!” and opens the door to God receiving glory for the work of His Spirit.  A lack of faith says “God, I can’t trust you with this.”

Jesus said that if our faith was only a big as a grain of mustard that we could move mountains, “and nothing will be impossible for you.”  A mustard seed isn’t much.  It’s tiny.  But with this tiny amount of a great resource, God can do anything!  Nothing will be impossible.  It doesn’t take buckets full of faith.  It doesn’t take dump trucks to haul it.  Just a tiny little bit is all you need and nothing is too difficult.  Oh, if we could only have that tiny amount of faith! 

It is impossible to trust God and not be close to Him.  To have a relationship built of trust with anyone you must have a close relationship.  Hebrews 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  You can’t gain the rewards of a relationship with God while overlooking the relationship.  Diligently seek Him.  Believe that He is who He says He is.  Have faith in Him, and get to know Him well enough that you can trust Him.  Then you will see your faith grow.  Then His unseen power will be evident in your life.