Start Believing God For Bigger

Our faith has power. Whether it’s as small as a mustard seed or as big as a mountain, your faith is powerful. I wholeheartedly believe that Jesus loves your faith and honors it, no matter what size it is, and He meets you right where you are at.

But why aren’t we believing God for bigger? Why are we settling for a mustard seed faith?

I recognize that our faith goes through seasons, and sometimes we will struggle with doubt and little faith. We have to begin somewhere, and so when we start with mustard seed faith, that is so beautiful.

But why are we staying in a place of small faith when God is inviting us to a place of big faith?

Many times throughout His ministry, Jesus asked His disciples why they had such little faith, why they doubted, when they had seen Him provide and come through so many times before.

“Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?’” - ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭31‬ ‭

“Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?” - ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭8‬ ‭

‬‬“He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” - Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬ ‭‬‬

For a long time, when I read these verses, I was very confused. Jesus seems harsh and angry with His disciples for not believing, belittling their doubt. But as I studied deeper, talked to other Christians, and really meditated on who I KNOW Jesus is, I don’t think He’s mad. I don’t think His tone is harsh or condemning. I think He’s being gentle, like a parent or a friend, so kindly asking, “Why didn’t you think I’d come through for you? I got you! I’m going to come through for you! I’ve done it before, I’ll do again!”

It’s hard to convey this tone without being able to hear my voice, but I pray that Jesus would show you what He wants you to hear. He’s not mad at us when we have little faith. Jesus doesn’t disqualify you or give up on you when you doubt. He doesn’t shake His head or turn His back on you when your faith isn’t strong. Jesus looks at you with those gentle, compassionate eyes and reminds you that He has come through before, and so why wouldn’t He again?

HE WILL.

He will come through, and He always, always does.

And because He always comes through, we can believe so big. We can have big, mountainous faith becuase we know Jesus can and will. We can believe that He will walk on water, calm the storms, and multiply the bread. We can believe that He will raise from the dead, heal diseases, and forgive sins. We can believe Him for the things that other people might find infathomable because we’ve seen Him move in such incredible, intentional ways. Our faith no longer has to settle for believing in the bare minimum, but instead trusting that God can do more than we can imagine, and move in monumental ways. He’s not just going to provide the food, He’s going to bring an abundance so that there’s leftovers.

Finances in college have been the one of the biggest, if not the biggest, source of anxiety as I graduate and move into a new season. College is expensive, and I certainly don’t have the means to pay for it. Loans offer temporary relief, but are a source of financial burden over a long time. I had heard of a few people having their school completely paid for, and that became my dream. I wanted that, but I wasn’t sure it would be possible.

For a long time, I’ve been praying earnestly over this. I’ve been asking God to provide and make a way for me to attend college without the financial burden. I’ve been praying for abundance, to be generous with what He’s given me and to not have to worry about how I’m going to pay for school.

So I prayed, and I did my part. I applied for all the scholarships I could.

My college, Emporia, came out with their scholarships. I got one, for $450, out of the 12 that I had applied for. I am so grateful for that $450, because it all helps, but it felt so defeating, because there’s so much left to go.

Doubt began to set in.

My financial aid dashboard was updated, and they predicted college to cost $7,000 more than I had expected and calculated.

I panicked.

My faith that God would provide became desperate. My prayers of faith became prayers of tears, begging Him to make a way. I had little faith.

Less than a week later, I received a phone call, letting me know that I had received some big scholarships, covering the cost of my entire freshman year, and then some. These scholarships are also renewable, meaning I will have nearly enough for the rest of my college, too.

God comes through, and He comes through abundantly.

He always does this, too. Every time I ask for provision, God provides. He doesn’t provide in my own time; He likes to wait a bit so that my faith actually has to be tested. But my God never leaves me hanging. He does not abandon me and allow me to stay in a place of need. God provides, and He provides in big ways.

There is a caveat. Because God is God, He sees so much more than I do. God always provides, but He doesn’t always provide in the way I want Him to. He doesn’t always bring the healing I’m praying for, in the timing I want it. I wholeheartedly believe that God never fails to give us what we need, but sometimes God and I have different ideas of what I need. It doesn’t mean that He has let me down or failed me or doesn’t care about me anymore, it just means that He loves me so much that He will give me what will strengthen my faith and glorify Him, not what will satisfy my human dreams and desires.

We can believe God for the big things. And I believe that when we do, we will start seeing Him come through in bigger ways because we gave Him the opportunity, trust, and space to do so.