Bert's Bytes - A Faith-Full 2023

“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17: 20-21 CSB

I recently watched a movie called “Little Boy,” about an 8-year-old who turned to faith to bring his Daddy home from fighting in World War II. In the process, he worked through a list of things the local priest gave him that were, in essence, commands of Christ, putting his faith in action. At a dramatic point in the movie facing the taunts of kids and adults in the town, he is challenged to make the mountain at the edge of the town move. As he directed his “power” toward the mountain, an earthquake struck the town to the shock of everyone, and some said that the mountain used to sit more to the right!

Several notable “mountain moves” happened recently: Buffalo Bills safety Darman Hamlin’s recovery, our friend Dave Severt’s remarkable surgery, and the lung transplant for teenager Rock Riser. We are amazed and praise the Lord! More mountain moves are evident as we celebrate baptisms each month, hear life changes that occur with the teaching of God’s Word in Worship and Groups and even the home-going of senior saints among us.

And at the same time, we know that there are mountains we desperately desire to move that do not. The healings needed, the reconciliations undone, the needs unmet, the steps to normalcy wished for, and more.

One of my faith verses is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Faith requires trust, belief, and obedience. Lauren Daigle’s song says, “When You don’t move the mountains, I’m needing You to move. When You don’t part the waters, I wish I could walk through. When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You. I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!”

Praying for a Faith-Full 2023,

Bert