I was sitting in our men’s group that meets on Monday mornings at 6:30am. We have been reading the book, In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day, by Mark Batterson. The book is based on a story that is almost a byline in Scripture. It’s the account of a man named Benaiah who did something crazy. He jumped into a pit with a man-eating lion and killed it!
As Batterson writes in his sequel titled Chase The Lion, “You can run away from what you are afraid of, but you’ll be running the rest of your life. It’s time to face your fears, take a flying leap of faith, and chase the lion!”
The discussion in our men’s group that morning centered upon the greatness of God. We talked about how God sees opportunities when we see obstacles. We talked about those mountains of impossibility that rise up against us, and how God can use them to stretch and strengthen our faith. We talked about what it means to resist the devil, which isn’t a defensive action but an offensive strategy. God always calls us to play offense!
Then one of our men shared something so simple, and yet so powerful, that it hit me like a ton of bricks. He said, “When our family is facing a crisis situation, we draw a picture of a mountain on a piece of paper. We then name the mountain by whatever the need is we are facing. Then we go to prayer and tell the mountain to get lost.”
That’s crazy faith! Maybe, but it’s also biblical faith. Jesus said so, “Have faith in God. 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” (Mark 11:22-23).
How many times have we prayed for God to remove some mountain of impossibility in our lives? I know I have done so countless times. But when I heard that statement the other morning, it became a moment of revelation. I sensed the Lord saying to me, “ Stop asking me to remove the mountain when I have given you the authority (Luke 10:19) and the faith (Mark 11:22) to speak to it and command it to go!”
What mountain of impossibility are you facing today? I’ve got good news for you. God is bigger than the mountain! Understand, it is God’s power that moves the mountain, not ours. But He waits for us to step out in faith. Get a piece of paper. Draw a picture of a mountain. Name it. Then in the strong name of Jesus, command your mountain to get lost!
“Who are you, O great mountain? You shall become a plain!” (Zechariah 4:7) Step up in faith and be a mountain mover.
Pastor Todd Weston