What is Faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. Heb 11:1 (TLB)
And Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed... Matthew 17:20 (KJV)
Faith is not to think something is possible, faith is to know, to be sure, to be certain that something hope for is possible.
We often see or read about men and women of great faith, how their faith did not just move a mountain, but a city, a country, even a continent. We listen to other believers narrate how they tenaciously held on to God, trusting him for something and getting answers, but deep down, we esteem such people as men and women of great faith while we see ourselves as 'normal', 'just there', and so on.
But before you give up on the capacity of your faith, let's reason together, what manner of faith is required to move mountains? The answer is in Matthew 17:20, faith as small as a mustard seed, yea, that tiny-miny mustard seed, a faith that small is all that is required. Let's do a quick comparison of some events in Matthew 8 and 9.
In Matthew 8:5-10, there is an account of a man who had a different and rare dimension of faith, a faith born out of knowledge of Christ. This Centurion saw Jesus as a man of authority, according to him, just like a soldier must obey the order of his superior, sicknesses, demons, even nature must listen and obey Jesus. Some people brought their sick to Jesus to be healed, he didn't bring his, didnt go through that stress, he believed Jesus only had to speak a word. Upon hearing him, Jesus was amazed, He spoke the word, and at that hour, the sick person was healed (fulfilling the Scripture in Psalm 107:20).
But in Matthew 9:18-19, there is an account of a man who also had faith, he believed if Jesus will come to touch his daughter, she will be healed. We may say this man's faith wasn't as remarkable as the Centurion's, but Jesus followed him home anyway, why? This man had faith, that his little unremarkable faith was all Jesus needed to follow him home and heal his daughter. On getting to his home, he was told his sick daughter was dead, maybe deep down in his heart, he had given up, but Jesus didn't give up on the situation, Jesus didn't turn back because the situation has worsened, the little faith of the man was still active, Jesus rose the dead girl, Hallelujah!
In between those two accounts was the story of the woman with the issue of blood, another remarkable faith, this woman, unlike the other two did not even bother to ask if Jesus would heal her, she didn't ask for a permission, her faith made a demand on the anointing of Jesus, and she too was healed.
One said speak the word, one, follow me home, the other believed she only needed his garment to get healed, all in all, they all got what they desired, why? They had FAITH, and to Jesus, that was all that mattered.
All this people however had one thing in common, they had heard things about Jesus, different stories, and these stories formed their faith, remember Romans 10:17, 'so then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God'.
Therefore, know that all Christ needs is your little faith, that faith that is not so impressive. But then, let your faith grow with a diligent study of the word, most importantly, let your faith grow by not despising the days of little beginnings. One may say, all I have trusted God to cure is just headache, but do not despair, a growing faith will one day raise the dead, but how will that happen if you have given up on your faith already?
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