September 12, 2018
Matthew 17:14-15 Amplified Bible (AMP)
As we explored in our passage on Monday, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things yet unseen. As we learned from our passage on Tuesday, we must have faith that when God corrects us and disciplines us, he sees something in us that must be surrendered so we can move forward in his plan. In our passage today, Jesus tells the disciples the reason they were unable to cast out a demon was because of their “little faith.”
Our faith can move mountains, but that faith must be “living faith.” In other words, our faith must be accompanied by actions that reveal our devotion and our confidence in God. Our lives will bear the fruit of active faith as we put ourselves in God’s hands and allow the Spirit to make us more like Jesus who knew the will of God. With God all things are possible and he works upon our faith. So continue to set your faith out for the work of good…of God.
Matthew 17:14-21 The Demoniac
14 When they approached the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, kneeling before Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic (moonstruck) and suffers terribly; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed at once.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20 He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 [But this kind of demon does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]”
Prayer: Lord, continue to grow within me a living faith; a faith that moves mountains according to your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.