Has your life been simplified lately, or has it grown more complicated? In some ways, your decision-making process may be easier. Since every meeting is done via Zoom, you only have to worry about what shirt to rotate for the day…the bottoms can be pj’s or sweatpants!
But in other ways, recent events may have made your life more complicated. Now you’re having to navigate new technology, figure out innovative methods to run your business, and possibly homeschool your kids.
It may be difficult to work out “what” and “how” to address these current issues, but the question that can potentially derail us is obsessing over “why” we are facing these challenges.
When you focus on the problems and worry over the details, the mountain in front of you can grow bigger and more ominous.
Fixating on fear makes things complicated but focusing on faith brings peace and strength. Jesus kept things simple as He walked with His Father, stood in faith, and ministered to the people He loved. He could have been fearful in the week leading to His death, but Jesus knew His Father was in control, had a plan, and could do the impossible. So He was empowered to walk in faith and confidence in those final days!
Jesus gave His disciples some truths that we can encourage ourselves with today:
We can have faith in God at all times.
Remember that no mountain is too big for God.
When you pray and ask, believe you have received what you asked for.
Although we face obstacles and challenges, we can choose whether we allow the mountains in front of us to grow bigger or be removed. We can anchor our faith in God and let His truth be our perspective.
Jesus always made time to go to His Father in prayer. Let’s do the same today, asking and believing for His will to be done in our lives.
Mark 11:12-33
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him,because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” [26]
27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”
29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”
31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)
33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
