Daily Devotional for January 12, 2013

Matthew 21:21-22
But Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you’ll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.”

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.

I often refer to our 19-month-old great-niece, Zola, as “our little monkey!” Zola absolutely loves to climb things. One day, as my husband sat on our couch, he put his feet on the ottoman in front of him. Zola wanted to pass by. She could easily have crawled underneath my husband’s legs and been on her way. Instead, she worked, wriggled, huffed and puffed as she attempted to “scale the mountain” and climb up and over. For her, those legs were a huge obstacle… one she faced head-on! I’m not sure where she gets her determination and confidence, but there is nothing she won’t tackle!

My favorite part of this particular translation of Matthew 21:21-22 is…” you’ll not only do minor feats … but also triumph over huge obstacles.” Most of us perform minor feats every single day - from getting to work or school on time… running a household a combination of people of all ages and maybe a pet or two…managing to squeeze in a workout that keeps us healthy.. and much more. Let’s call them “small victories.” I believe God blesses us with these to keep us encouraged and moving forward… to show us that we are strong and capable of “getting it done.”

By the same token, each one of us will likely face huge obstacles at one point or another in our life. Our “mountain” may be something such as finishing college or completing a difficult internship…losing a significant amount of weight (or that last stubborn 10 pounds) and getting in shape to reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure…coping with the grief of losing a loved one…losing our job and/or our home… managing a serious illness (ours or that of a friend or family member)… facing the results of a crisis, such as a natural disaster… or conquering an addiction. But God can equip us with the strength, courage and fortitude to handle these obstacles… if only we will trust Him.

Isn’t it great to know that God can help us with all of this – minor feats, huge obstacles - and everything in between? Wouldn’t it be great if we operated a little more like Zola… in the “No Fear Zone?” We DO know where our determination and confidence lies… in the strength and power of God Almighty. It is up to us to lay hold of Him… to remove all doubt and claim the dominion of God as our believing prayer. Whether He directs us to crawl under or around our hurdle… or to climb to the top and tackle it head-on, we can embrace Kingdom Life and handle anything under God’s power.

Does this mean that we can literally make mountains jump into the lake by telling them to do so? Probably not! But with God’s help, the “mountains” in our individual lives can be seized and managed, captured and dominated… and we can rest in the assurance and protection of a victorious Master who always has our back. Aren’t you ready for this? What “mountain” do you need to move today? Are you ready to lay hold of God and get it done?

©2013 Debbie Robus