O MOUNTAIN, BE REMOVED!

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OCTOBER 30, 2023

TOPIC: O MOUNTAIN, BE REMOVED!

BY T. O. BANSO

“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them’” (Mark 11:22-24 New King James Version).

The mountain is one of the geographic features that the Bible talks about. It also talks about hills, valleys, and so on. Whereas the Bible talks about the physical mountains, it also uses mountains to depict problems. The latter is the focus of this devotional.

Mountains in the Bible represent, among other things, problems or difficulties. This means that everybody has one mountain or the other because everybody has problems or difficulties. Problems are a reality of human existence. Problems try to limit or hinder us but they can also become the vehicle that will transport us to the next level.

Goliath was a problem for Saul and the army of Israel. Nobody had the boldness to confront him for forty days until David got to the Israelites’ camp. When he eventually killed Goliath, the problem everyone ran away from, he became a national figure. From a shepherd boy, David succeeded in making his name go global. Even non-believers today know about David and Goliath, although they may not know the story in detail (1 Samuel 17).

Just as physical mountains are intimidating, so also, mountains representing problems could be. However, God does not want you to remain intimidated by your problems. He wants you to have victory over your mountains. God does not want you to describe your mountains to Him; He wants you to remove them.

The Bible talks about the mountains being removed, whether it is a physical mountain or when it is used as a metaphor for problems. Job 9:5 says God removes the mountains, and they do not know when He overturns them in His anger. Furthermore, Job 14:18 refers to a mountain falling and crumbling away. The psalmist in Psalm 46:2b equally mentions the crumbling of the mountains into the sea. Revelation 6:14b also talks about every mountain and island being moved out of its place.

In Matthew 21:20, the disciples of Jesus marvelled and asked how the fig tree He had cursed withered away so soon. Jesus answered them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (verses 21-22 New King James Version).

From Jesus’ answer, we can see that mountains can be removed and cast into the sea. But this depends on unwavering faith, demonstrated by saying to the mountain to be removed and cast into the sea. Jesus said it would be done.

Jesus didn’t talk about describing the size of the mountain. No matter the size of your mountain or how long it has existed, God is bigger than every mountain. Habakkuk 3:6 says of God, “He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting” (New King James Version). Seemingly everlasting and perpetual problems can be removed and shall be removed in your life in Jesus’ name.

Exercise faith without doubting, commanding the mountain to be removed and cast into the sea. It will be done. It is not by human power; it is by reliance on the power of God. Psalm 97:5 says the mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. It is not faith in self, but faith in God which comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). To be able to speak a mountain-moving word of faith, you must fill yourself with the word of God, the Word of faith.

The latter part of Matthew 21:22 says, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (New King James Version). This scripture is not for ministers of God alone; it is for everyone who believes in Jesus. By whatsoever, it should not be assumed that one can ask just anything, including the most ridiculous, and one will receive it. Jesus wouldn’t expect that anyone following Him would be frivolous, greedy, or covetous. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3 New International Version).

In John 15:7-8, Jesus says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (New King James Version).

If the words of Jesus abide in you and you abide in Him, you will desire to ask what is His will for you, as He also had asked God in prayer, not for His will to be done but for God’s will. “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will’” (Matthew 26:39 New King James Version).

Whatever things you ask in prayer and believing, you will receive. However, this must be in accordance with His will. The Apostle John addresses this in 1 John 5:14-15: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (New King James Version).

Speak in faith to your mountain without doubting, as Jesus said in Matthew 21:21-22. Mark 11:22-24 says a similar thing: “So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them’” (New King James Version).

Stop confessing your problems by continuing to discuss them with people who might never be able to help you. Command your problems to go. Speak to them in faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders obtained a good testimony (Hebrews 11:1-2). Live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

The Bible says about Abraham, “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:19-22 New King James Version).

In Matthew 21:21 and Mark 11:22, Jesus said, “For assuredly, I say to you” (New King James Version). Some translations use the phrase “I tell you the truth.” Jesus gave the assurance that the mountains shall be removed and cast into the sea if we have faith and give the command without doubting. This assurance is true.

Hear Jesus’ words of assurance on another occasion while replying to His disciples’ question why they couldn’t cast out a demon from a boy: “So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting’”  (Matthew 17:20-21 New King James Version). Again, the phrase “for assuredly, I say to you” is rendered as “I tell you the truth” in some translations. It is the truth that your mountain shall be moved or removed.

Zechariah 4:7 says, “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’” (New King James Version). Have faith in God. Say to your mountain to be removed. It shall be in Jesus’ name. You will see it no more.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: O mountain in my life, be removed and be cast into the sea. I shall not see you anymore.

(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org