“If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there.’”
Matthew 17:20 (NKJV)
Who’s doing the talking in your life? You, or the mountain? Like scratching fingernails on a chalkboard, the irritating voices of negativity screech out their scariness to all who will listen. Cancer growls. Heart disease rumbles. Mental instability stutters. Broken relationships fume. Conflict argues. All these and more keep an incessant stream of fear and woe propaganda to batter and beat us into the ground. We plug our ears, whistle in the dark and murmur our way through life in an attempt to counter their voices—to no avail. Along with this cacophony of naysayers, dubious friends and unbelieving family members pile on with doubt-filled talk like “Never, can’t, forget it, stop, run, cave and quit.” If they succeed, they will drown out voices of faith and hope and leave you with an impending sense of catastrophe.
If this describes you, you’re letting your mountain do the talking! But the mountain has nothing good to say. It threatens you with destruction, confuses you with disinformation, and mocks your faith. The mountain’s big voice and imposing presence always makes it appear invincible. Joseph’s mountain of slavery, entrapment and abandonment looked impossible to overcome. Esther’s mountain of confronting the king looked like execution. Daniel’s mountain of persecution and a den of hungry lions looked like certain death. Simon Peter’s jail cell and probable decapitation looked like untimely martyrdom. Satan, the maestro of exaggeration, can take the smallest molehill and swell it up to an obstacle the size of a mountain.
The mountain may be nothing but an empty threat, or it may be a splinter of truth spun into a federal case. But even if your mountain represents a legitimate threat or if it is a genuine dragon that breathes fire and smoke, its voice will always be overmatched by our glorious God! Never, ever forget who’s in charge here! If Satan can take the shadow of a lie and turn it into a mountain, you can take faith the size of a tiny mustard seed and bulldoze his mountain into a flat plain. The mountain that threatens you may even become the river the blesses you! God turned Joseph’s mountain into a majestic ruler. He turned Esther’s confrontation into deliverance for the Jews. He converted Daniel’s lion’s den into credentials for a palace position. He flipped Simon Peter’s predicament into the beginnings of a mighty revival. It all happened because men and women of faith refused to let their mountain do the talking!
Instead of the mountain speaking to you, you need to speak to the mountain! No matter how big the mountain may appear, you have the upper hand. Here are three keys to help you stand up to your obstacles:
The Word of God. “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ “ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” Matthew 4:8-11.
Faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
Determination. “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:8-11.
One more thing. God didn’t promise to make the mountain disappear. He only said it would move. It may move just enough for you to get around it. The point to remember is that your mountain will not prevent you from achieving your goal or getting to your destination. Just make sure you are heading in the right direction. God will take care of any mountain that stands in the way of His will in your life!