“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” — Matthew 17:20 (KJV)
There are moments in our walk with God when the assignment seems too daunting, the vision too vast, and the timing inconvenient. We wrestle with uncertainty, weighed down by human limitations and past disappointments. And yet, Jesus speaks directly to this state of mind: “Because of your unbelief…”—not because the mountain is too high, not because the timing is wrong, but because of unbelief.
In this powerful verse, Jesus reduces the criteria for miracles and divine exploits to something so small it’s almost laughable: faith as a grain of mustard seed. Why a mustard seed? Because it is small but potent. Planted in the right soil, it grows into a tree. Likewise, even the smallest measure of faith, when rooted in trust and obedience to God, can unlock heaven’s power and fulfill divine purpose.
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1. Faith Isn’t a Feeling — It’s an Act of Obedience
We often think faith should feel like boldness or certainty. But faith doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it whispers: “Go anyway.” In Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham, when he was called… obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” He didn’t have the full picture. He simply trusted the One who called him.
God’s purpose for your life won’t always make sense. It might demand uncomfortable risks. But delayed obedience is still disobedience, and unbelief subtly disguises itself as caution or logic. The mustard-seed kind of faith says, “If God has said it, I don’t need to have it all figured out—I just need to move.”
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2. Mountains Were Meant to Move
Jesus didn’t say we should climb the mountain. He said we could move it. That’s a radical statement. Mountains here symbolize every obstacle that stands in the way of divine assignment—fear, lack, insecurity, shame, delay, opposition.
Your assignment isn’t to analyze the mountain; it’s to speak to it in faith. Mark 11:23 echoes this power: “Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed… and shall not doubt in his heart… he shall have whatsoever he saith.” The words you release in faith matter. Faith speaks. Faith declares. Faith shifts spiritual atmospheres.
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3. God Is Not Looking for the Qualified — Just the Willing
When God called Moses, he had excuses. So did Gideon. So did Jeremiah. But their stories were not defined by their weakness; they were transformed by their willingness to say “yes.” Ephesians 2:10 reminds us: “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” That means your purpose was written before your fear ever formed.
God’s will is not something you manufacture; it’s something you discover and walk in. And walking in it requires faith—raw, shaky, mustard-seed faith. It’s the kind of faith that trusts God more than timelines, more than feelings, more than qualifications.
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4. Stir It Up Again
Maybe you had faith once. Maybe you believed for the impossible, but life’s disappointments dulled your edge. Paul’s words to Timothy are for you: “Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee…” (2 Timothy 1:6). The Greek word translated as “stir up” means to fan into flame. Don’t let the embers of old dreams die out. Blow on them with prayer. Fuel them with the Word. Surround yourself with believers who dare to believe God for big things.
God is still calling. The mountain still moves. The assignment still stands.
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Nothing Shall Be Impossible
Let this be your anchor: “Nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Not because of who you are—but because of who He is. Your part is to believe, speak, obey, and move. His part is to fulfill, strengthen, empower, and perform.
You don’t need mountain-sized faith. You only need a mustard seed. And when planted in obedience and watered by trust, that seed becomes the path to destiny.
So today, rise up. Stir your faith. Confront your unbelief. And say to the mountain: “Move.”
With Love, Esinam.
Virtuous Living 