MEMORISE:
They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. Psalm 125:1
READ:
Mark 11:12-14
Mark 11:20-24
Mark 11:12-14
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
Mark 11:20-24
20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
MESSAGE
Today’s Bible reading narrates a story that demonstrates faith in action and teaches what faith can do for those who live by it. Having declared to us in Habakkuk 2:4 that “The just shall live by his faith,” our Lord’s primary purpose in cursing the fig tree was to show us what living by faith really looks like. That was why the first statement Jesus made after Peter drew His attention to the withered fig tree was “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). Jesus further went on to say in Mark 11:23:
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
Living by faith simply means to have faith in God’s power and in His faithfulness to perform whatever He has promised. If we have faith in God, we should have the confidence to ask Him whatever we desire in the place of prayer. The Lord has told us that this is the pathway to receive our heart’s desires (Mark 11:24). If we have faith in God, we should also be confident to make declarations based on his word. We demonstrate our faith by the confessions of our mouths. Psalm 116:10a says:
“I believed, therefore have I spoken”
Our Lord expects us to declare what we believe to the mountains that challenge the integrity of His word in our lives, instead of crying to him about them. That is what living by faith is all about. A lot of us do not want to develop in our walk with God; we just want to remain at the level of babes, who expect everything to be done for them instead of taking charge. No wonder the Lord asked this question in Luke 18:8, saying:
“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
It is one thing to pray and another thing to believe in practical terms that God will do what you are asking for. The story was told of a priest who called for a prayer meeting one Sunday afternoon concerning the challenge of drought in a particular town. After the congregation had gathered for the prayer meeting, the priest looked around and said, “Brethren, you are not ready to pray.” The parishioners wondered, “What do you mean? That is what we have come to do.” He then asked them, “What have you come to do?” they chorused, “To pray for rain to fall!” he then asked them, “Where are your umbrella and raincoats? If you believe that God will answer the prayer you have come to say, you should have brought your umbrella and raincoats!” They went back home and brought their umbrellas and raincoats, and God honored their faith. What a lesson of faith! Beloved, have faith in God.
ACTION POINT:
Take practical steps to demonstrate that you believe your prayers to God are being answered.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 12-13 Ezekiel 40:24-43
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!
3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.
4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!
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