I didn’t think much about it until I got to Davisville. There I noticed it was raining cats and dogs. The sky was covered with rain clouds, and the rain was pelting against the windows. It was then that I realized that if I had to trek 15minutes home in this weather that I’d be drenched. Not just a little wet, but I’d be sloshing around in my own shoes.

Then in a moment of clarity, it was like God spoke to me and told me to have faith. You see, I’ve been studying Matthew for the last month and all of a sudden all these verses started popping into my head…

“if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

“You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:26)

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour. (Matthew 8:10,13)

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:1)

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment. (Matthew 9:22)

Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. (Matthew 9:29)

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:58)

I could go on, there is Peter walking on water because of faith; Jesus rebuking the disciples for not having enough faith to perform their own miracles (Ch.16), etc.

But the point is that at that exact moment, I suddenly had faith that God would make the rain go away and I was happy and relieved. I prayed asking God to make the clouds go away and that he would not let a single drop hit my head. and that he would clear the skies and give me a nice walk home. I was still in the subway without any knowledge of what the weather was like outside, but as I got closer to my stop I got more and more excited to see the great weather God was preparing for me.

I was so excited I ran up the stairs and when I got to the doors, the clouds had just swept disappeared. I could see the last of the grey clouds and then what was left was sun and blue skies. I was amazed. That is my story. Praise be to God, who honours faith the size of mustard seeds and gives power to those who believe.

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them —John 13:17

Be determined to know more than others (about God). If you yourself do not cut the lines that tie you to the dock, God will have to use a storm to sever them and to send you out to sea. Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself— begin to have spiritual discernment.

When you know that you should do something and you do it, immediately you know more. Examine where you have become sluggish, where you began losing interest spiritually, and you will find that it goes back to a point where you did not do something you knew you should do. You did not do it because there seemed to be no immediate call to do it. But now you have no insight or discernment, and at a time of crisis you are spiritually distracted instead of spiritually self-controlled. It is a dangerous thing to refuse to continue learning and knowing more (about God).

Be obedient to God and His higher calling for us.

The danger we have is that we want to water down what Jesus said to make it mean something that aligns with our common sense. But if it were only common sense, what He said would not even be worthwhile.

Just as a ship must deal with invisible forces at work, like the wind and the current, our lives are influenced by many invisible factors that cannot be ignored. Do not dwell on earthly things such as television and music which will renew your mind with materialistic views, but renew your mind with the word of God and with songs of worship that praise God instead of men.

Men and women do not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from God’s mouth.
- Matthew 4:4

Part of our way of life is to expose ourselves to God’s scripture. Dallas Willard, a highly respected writer on the “Spiritual Life”,  shared that memorizing scripture has changed his life because it feeds your mind with God’s word in a way that becomes a part of your life.

So let’s stop feeding our brain with worldly things such as: sex, money, career; and instead fill them with the promises of God.

In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. (Exodus 15:13)

We the Redeemed

There is nothing like Your love
No exchange for all You gave
To be welcomed into life
So I could know a love that saves

Now forever to belong
To walk with You for all my days
There’s no greater love than this
You are the Author and the Way

This is the sound of the redeemed
Rising up to praise the King
Our hope is in You
This is the sound of the redeemed
Rising up to praise the King

Singing glorious
Glorious One
You have saved us
Honour and power
And praise to the Saviour
You are the answer
You are the answer

You come with power
Come with fire
As we lift Your Name on high
And join with all the saints to sing
Bringing honour to the King

We the redeemed
Hear us singing
You are holy