1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
Steps of faith takes up the ladder of promises into the fullness of life. The promises and prophecies remain unfulfilled in the lives of many people as the steps of faith are missing on their ladder of promises. Fear is not a step but a slippery stride that stumbles and slides us down the ladder of promise. God’s promises come to fruition only when faith is firmly planted in the soil of our hearts. Matthew 17:20 Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” The allegory that Jesus picked for faith is a mustard seed and not a fully grown tree. The responsibility is on us to grow the seed of faith into a tree to enjoy the fruits and the fullness of life.
A mustard seed must germinate into a seedling, then into a young green plant to become a tree. Only a strong matured tree can house birds and bring forth fruits. If the fruit is too heavy for the branch, it will never ripen but will prematurely shed away from the branches. Unfulfilled promises and unrealized potential and unmatured prophecies are a result of our own impatience, unfaithfulness and fickleness. God’s resources are never insufficient to fulfil His promises, we are deficient in our faith to receive the blessings.
Three termites that will eat into our faith and terminate the fulfilment of promises and prophecies:
1. Acidic Tongue: Many promises are killed with the acidic outpouring of faithless, careless and hopeless words. Self proclaimed curses and angry words are like acid that is poured on a newly germinating green seedling. “Nothing good will happen to me” is a ‘self-proclaimed curse’ not a ‘statement of frustration’! Plants of faith are killed before they mature to start bearing the fruit of the promises. Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. So, watch the words of your mouth.
2. Astringent Heart: Unresolved anger rehearsed over and over again in our mind leave sediments of bitterness in our heart. Bitterness is a poisonous chemical that trickles into a garden and kills the greenery. Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble.Bitter roots will produce bitter fruits of curses not blessings.
3. Argumentative Mind: Mind is the inlet to our soul that supplies manure or malnutrition to the seed of faith. Our meditation supplies food for the soul that nurtures faith or fear. Excuses for weakness, reasons for rebellion and argumentative or complaining prayers does not help. Most of the struggles, stress and strain that we go through were caused by our own mistakes however, many conveniently shift the blame on God for the mishaps. Argumentative mind comes from an arrogant soul. God opposes the proud (James 4:6). Arrogance kills the nutrition of God’s word and strangles the seed of faith.
A controlled tongue, humble heart and a renewed mind nurtures the seed, seedling and tree of faith and brings the promises of God into culmination. Fulfilment of promises can be reached only when we resolutely climb up the ladder of faith.
Hebrew 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I surrender my tongue, my mind and my heart to fully trust you and your Word. May your Word nourish my fainting soul and may the tree of faith grow strong and brawny. Teach me the way to live a fulfilled and fruitful life. Amen
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