Today’s scripture: Luke 17:5-6 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Mark Shoup):
The use of the mustard seed in the Bible is usually associated with faith and is cited to represent something very, very small, as in “even a tiny amount of faith is a powerful thing.” In our world and age, we could suppose that a better comparison might be Plutonium, or even more accurately, tetanus or botulinal neurotoxin, both of which are usually fatal in doses greater than 1 nanogram per kilogram of body weight. I’m not sure how big a nanogram is, but if 27 angels could dance on the head of a pin, they would each still need a microscope to see one.
But these present day comparisons of potent substances don’t really cut the mustard (sorry, couldn’t resist) as they are all usually associated with death or destruction. What’s more, they don’t do the most important thing that faith and a mustard seed can do. They GROW! And maybe that was the point that Jesus was trying to make when his apostles asked Him to increase their faith.
Physically, none of us starts out as very much — just a collection of unremarkable cells. But each of us has the potential to become something unique in all of creation. The same is true of faith. As long as you have just a little bit of it, and you let God in, it can grow into something far greater than yourself.
But faith is never something that comes to you in its final stages; you have to cultivate it yourself. Just like a tree, you have to feed it, water it, and prune it if you want to coax the best growth out of it. Feed it by reading the Bible. Water it by praying, and prune it by holding on to hope even when the evidence is against you. Do this and you will be amazed how big your faith tree gets!
But don’t get discouraged. All growth takes time, and often the strongest trees are the ones that grow the slowest.
Thought for the day: Am I committed to growing my faith? What is the next step for me in doing so?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.