image from newlifenarrabi.wordpress.com
Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4nmP79T
View the devo: https://bit.ly/3IynwUe
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 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. 7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ” (Luke 17:5-10 NIV)
Happy Monday, Friend! So glad you're with us today! Let's journey towards the Lord as we seek to the Lord's will and purpose for our lives.
It was years before I saw for myself, a real mustard seed. Imagine my surprise that you can find thousands of them in the spice department of your grocery store! In a bottle no less! Okay, to be fair I hadn't frequented the spice aisle in our little grocery store in Kingsville, nor later when we had moved to Houston. Okay, I really didn't cook for myself much and the cooking that I did never really called for mustard seeds. My go-to spices are cumin, oregano, salt, pepper. I had been told, taught, and preached that a mustard seed was small. It's actually tiny.
We hear the Disciples asking for an increase in their faith. Interesting request given that since they said yes to Jesus to follow Him, they had been there at the source of faith for 24/7. They saw, heard, touched, and experienced things that many would have loved to, for they were watching faith in action. But even in the face of God at work, it can be easy to have doubts and fears. And as the Disciples realized the seriousness of what Jesus would undergo and maybe with them as well, their request to have more faith makes sense.
This request comes after Jesus has given them some challenging teachings about forgiveness and the cost of causing others to stumble. Perhaps they're feeling overwhelmed by the demands of discipleship, wondering how they could possibly live up to such high standards. Their response isn't to lower the bar but to ask for supernatural help to reach it.
There's something beautiful about acknowledging our spiritual limitations. When we admit we need more faith, we position ourselves to receive what God wants to give us. The disciples' request invites us to be equally honest about our own need for increased faith.
Jesus' response is surprising: "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." The disciples ask for more faith, and Jesus essentially says, "You don't need more faith—you need to use the faith you have."
A mustard seed is tiny—about one to two millimeters in diameter. Yet Jesus suggests that even this minuscule amount of faith can accomplish the impossible. The problem isn't the size of our faith but our understanding of faith's power. We think we need mountain-sized faith to move mountains, but Jesus says mustard-seed faith is more than sufficient.
This is incredibly liberating. You don't have to wait until you feel supremely confident to step out in faith. You don't need to overcome all your doubts before you act on God's promises. Even small faith—faith mixed with uncertainty, faith accompanied by questions, faith that feels inadequate—is enough to move trees into seas.
Jesus' illustration of the mulberry tree reveals something important about faith. The tree He mentions would have been deeply rooted, firmly established, seemingly immovable. Yet He suggests that even this stubborn obstacle would obey faith as small as a mustard seed.
This isn't about the intensity of your belief but about the object of your belief. A mustard seed's power doesn't come from its size—it comes from its connection to the life force within it. Similarly, faith's power doesn't come from how much you have but from whom you're trusting. Small faith in a big God accomplishes more than big faith in a small god.
The key is not working up more faith but directing the faith you have toward the right target. When your mustard-seed faith is placed in an almighty God, mountains become moveable and trees become transplantable.
Jesus' teaching invites us to stop making excuses and start acting on whatever faith we do possess. Instead of saying, "I need more faith before I can..." we can say, "I'll use the faith I have and step out now." Instead of waiting for doubt-free confidence, we can move forward with mustard-seed certainty.
This means praying for that impossible situation even though you're not sure God will answer. It means offering forgiveness even though you don't feel particularly forgiving. It means taking steps of obedience even when you can't see the whole staircase. It means trusting God's character even when you can't understand His methods.
The beautiful truth is that God doesn't despise small beginnings. He delights in using inadequate people with inadequate faith to accomplish His adequate purposes. Your mustard-seed faith is enough to get started, and God will grow it as you use it.
The servant parable isn't meant to discourage us but to ground us. When we understand our proper role as servants rather than superstars, it actually increases our faith rather than diminishes it. Why? Because it takes the pressure off our performance and puts the focus on God's power.
When you know you're just a servant using the Master's tools, you don't have to worry about whether you're qualified enough, experienced enough, or faithful enough. You just have to be willing enough. The Master takes responsibility for the results—you just have to show up and be available.
This humility is liberating. You don't have to manufacture great faith—you just have to use the faith you have. You don't have to be a spiritual giant—you just have to be a willing servant. You don't have to move mountains on your own strength—you just have to trust the One who can.
Jesus' teaching is ultimately an invitation to stop waiting and start walking. Stop analyzing your faith and start acting on it. Stop measuring your confidence and start moving in obedience. Stop asking for more faith and start using the faith you have.
Maybe there's a relationship that needs forgiveness—exercise your mustard-seed faith and take the first step. Maybe there's a calling you've been avoiding because you don't feel qualified—trust your inadequate faith to an adequate God. Maybe there's a prayer you've stopped praying because you don't feel like you believe strongly enough—offer your small faith to your big God and see what happens.
The beautiful truth is that God isn't waiting for you to feel more faithful before He starts working through you. He's waiting for you to use whatever faith you have, however small it might seem.
Jesus' teaching contains both promise and process. The promise is that small faith can accomplish big things. The process is that faithful servants do their duty without expecting applause. Together, these truths create a beautiful picture of how God works through ordinary people who are willing to trust Him with extraordinary situations.
You don't need to be a spiritual superhero to see God work powerfully through your life. You just need to be a faithful servant willing to use whatever faith you possess, however inadequate it might feel. God specializes in using small faith from willing hearts to accomplish His purposes in the world.
PRAYER: Lord, help us stop waiting for more faith and start using the faith we have, serving You faithfully as unworthy servants privileged to participate in Your miraculous work, in Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, identify one area where you've been waiting for "more faith" before taking action, and instead choose to step out with whatever mustard-seed faith you currently possess, trusting God to work through your willingness rather than your confidence.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
