I'm comforted, though, by Jesus' disciples' bold inquisitions: 'increase our faith.' What a simple and poignant prayer. I find myself crying out like the centurion, 'I believe, help my unbelief!' When prayers seem to go unanswered, when the truth of Scripture can't travel from your brain to your hearts, when sorrows abound–my faith just seemed to shrink more and more and more. In my own experience and struggles with faithlessness, I can say my faith has been smaller than a mustard seed. But our faith, like a mustard seed, will grow in boldness and hope until trees are uprooted and tossed into the sea. Our faith, like God's kingdom, starts as a small seed. Luke 17:6 The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.' 'If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,' the Lord said, 'you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. And this isn't the last time we hear of it. When Luke says that the Kingdom of God is like a small seed that grows in maturity, He's relaying to us that God's power in Christ Jesus is meek but enduring, unassuming, but promising. Humble, small beginnings don't determine the future God does. As Luke says, when it's planted it grows tall and wide and full. But a mustard seed is a small, endearing little pit. I've been asking myself questions like: where am I keeping my mustard seed, or have I planted it? Do I believe that God will cause it to grow and flourish into a great tree? Do I actually think my mustard seed will wither and die? In our modern, western context we're probably unfamiliar with mustard trees, much less mustard seeds. Consequently, I've been required to think about my faith (or lack thereof). Specifically, I've been thinking about what the Word of God says about mustard seeds. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.' I've been thinking a lot about mustard seeds. Luke 13:18-19 He said, therefore, 'What is the kingdom of God like, and what can I compare it to? It's like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden.

Faith of a mustard seed