Day 2 of 6:

Monday

Has your life been simplified lately, or has it grown more complicated? In some ways, your decision-making process may be easier. Since every meeting is done via Zoom, you only have to worry about what shirt to rotate for the day…the bottoms can be pj’s or sweatpants!

But in other ways, recent events may have made your life more complicated. Now you’re having to navigate new technology, figure out innovative methods to run your business, and possibly homeschool your kids.

But in other ways, recent events may have made your life more complicated. Now you’re having to navigate new technology, figure out innovative methods to run your business, and possibly homeschool your kids.

It may be difficult to work out “what” and “how” to address these current issues, but the question that can potentially derail us is obsessing over “why” we are facing these challenges.

When you focus on the problems and worry over the details, the mountain in front of you can grow bigger and more ominous. 

Fixating on fear makes things complicated but focusing on faith brings peace and strength. Jesus kept things simple as He walked with His Father, stood in faith, and ministered to the people He loved. He could have been fearful in the week leading to His death, but Jesus knew His Father was in control, had a plan, and could do the impossible. So He was empowered to walk in faith and confidence in those final days!

Jesus gave His disciples some truths that we can encourage ourselves with today:

• We can have faith in God at all times.
• Remember that no mountain is too big for God.
• When you pray and ask, believe you have received what you asked for.

Although we face obstacles and challenges, we can choose whether we allow the mountains in front of us to grow bigger or be removed. We can anchor our faith in God and let His truth be our perspective.

Jesus always made time to go to His Father in prayer. Let’s do the same today, asking and believing for His will to be done in our lives.

Mark 11:12-33 King James Version

¹² And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

¹³ And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

¹⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

¹⁵ And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

¹⁶ And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

¹⁷ And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

¹⁸ And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

¹⁹ And when even was come, he went out of the city.

²⁰ And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

²¹ And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

²² And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

²³ For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

²⁴ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

²⁵ And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

²⁶ But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

²⁷ And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

²⁸ And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

²⁹ And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

³⁰ The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

³¹ And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

³² But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

³³ And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.