He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.
I'm a big fan of oatmeal, especially in the fall and winter months when a constant chill is in the air. There's nothing more comforting and filling than a steaming bowl of wholegrain goodness for breakfast.
So when I note we're running low on this staple, my husband, Danny, adds oatmeal to his grocery list before heading out to our neighborhood Aldi. This is their brand, and I'm eager to try it.
I scan the side of the container for directions, expecting to find the usual Quaker Oats ratio for one serving of oatmeal - 1 cup water to half cup oats. What's this? One cup of water to a quarter cup of oats? This can't possibly be right! And it takes 30 minutes to cook instead of five??? Okay, now I have to investigate.
I open the lid, and this is what greets me.
Teeny tiny oat pellets in the husk! I've never seen anything like this in my life. The 30 minute cooking time now makes complete sense to me, but the amount of water called for leaves room for doubt. How can just one cup of water adequately plump up these little guys?
Turns out, I'm right, and the directions are wrong. After some experimentation, I discover it takes one and one-half cups of water when all is said and done.
So begins the 30 minutes of watching, stirring and waiting . . .
And the finished product? Perfect, both in texture and in taste.
~
When I view these oats for the first time, they remind of of Jesus' story of the mustard seed. Minuscule and insignificant, it seems impossible that they can ever be transformed into anything palatable. Yet, add the right amount boiling water and time, and voila!
Yes, we may start out small in our faith, but we don't have to stay that way.
Because when we trust in Jesus, submitting our wills completely to Him, He can grow our faith exponentially, in ways we never could have imagined.
And one day, with the Lord's help, I believe we will move mountains.
Amen!
Friends, since next week is Thanksgiving break, I am taking a break from the blog. May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving Day filled with food, fun and family, and I will see you in the following week!
A question: Did Jesus really mean it when He said we could say to a mountain move and it will move? Or was it a figure of speech?
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine how much faith you and I would need to move a mountain? Or even one grain of your oats?
A lot is said about faith in the Bible, and in Christianity; but when we boil down to it; how much real faith have we got? Individually. When we pray for something, do we really really believe that God will grant it?
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family, Martha.
God bless you all.
I've always wondered about that, too, Victor, whether Jesus was using hyperbole when He spoke of moving mountains. But when I stop and think about all the mole hills in our day to day lives that our lack of faith and uncertainty turn into mountains, then if makes perfect sense. Perhaps, it's another way of telling us to not be afraid, to trust in the power of God to overcome what we can't, and to lean into Him for everything we need.
DeleteThanks for your great input here, my friend!
Love and blessings!
Steel cut oats are completely different from quick oats as you found out. They are processed differently. I have never tried them, but those who have tell me they are very good.
ReplyDeleteI often wonder just how much faith do I have. Moving a mountain is impossible in our eyes and I think that sometimes holds me back from believing it is possible. There are times like when I prayed fervently for my husband and for my sister this week that I totally believed God would hear and answer and He did. So how much faith is enough? It's certainly something to ponder.
Yes, Kathy, what a good question - how much faith is enough? I think the example you give here of praying and believing God will answer is absolutely heading in the right direction. And I do believe, as I said to Victor above, that it's all about trusting fully in our God to act on our behalf when we are totally dependent upon Him. He's the one who moves the mountains.
DeleteAnd as for the oats? Not your mama's oatmeal, that's for sure, but they have lots more flavor and texture to them.
Love and blessings!
Your post reminds me of the man who brought his son to Jesus because the disciples could not cast out the demon which kept throwing him into the fire. He said, "If you can" and Jesus said, "What do you mean 'if'"? The father answered, "I believe. Help my unbelief." What little faith I have, Jesus, make it more complete. Faith is there. I have a magnet in my office that says, "Faith to move mountains is the reward of those who have moved little hills." I like that.
ReplyDeleteI also forgot. Have a great week being thankful.
ReplyDeleteBill, I absolutely love the saying on your office magnet! I think I need to search the internet and see if I can find one for myself. And I'm glad this post reminded you of the story you shared here. I've often prayed the same to God - "I believe, help my unbelief." There is always room for our faith to grow stronger. You have a great week, too!
DeleteLove and blessings!
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ReplyDeleteYou are so good at parables, Martha Jane!! I'm not a big fan of oatmeal, except in my meatloaf or in cookies. Only Quick Oates work in those. Interesting to actually see the steel cut oats! (Wish we could edit our comments without deleting them! Sorry!)
ReplyDeleteNo apologies necessary, Terri! Yes, these are definitely not candidates for any cookie recipe, and I do love oatmeal cookies, that's for sure. And thank you for your kind words regarding parables. I thank God all the time for allowing me to witness to what I consider "Miracles in the Mundane." They are truly all around us!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, You do such a nice job with word pictures to illustrate Scriptures. It really does take a simple faith, the faith of a child to do powerful things--to see mountains move--literal and metaphorical mountains. May God help us in our unbelief!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
Love and blessings!
Oh, Kim, I love how you have linked the faith of a child to moving mountains. Bingo! A child's trust is seemingly infinite, and everything is possible. We do have to shed the jaded influence this world places on us, and just become, once again, as little children, allowing ourselves to be protected and loved by our Father in heaven.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I, too, am struck at your gift for imparting lessons! I enjoy oatmeal every now and then, but patience is not my strong suit! Suppose ALDI pulled that (mislabeled) product? I'm imagining someone trying to follow the directions then throwing the whole thing in the trash!
ReplyDeleteWishing you and Danny a most blessed Thanksgiving!
Mevely, the first time around in cooking these reminded me of the lesson Danny taught me about grits - never trust the water amount, and never take your eyes off them while cooking/stirring them.
DeleteSo more or less, I was prepared, and mentally noted what might be required when I tackle these oats. For those who like oatmeal, and have the patience, these grains are well worth it as their taste and texture are downright hearty.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Tom!
Love and blessings!
I am not a big oatmeal fan, but that sounds interesting. Steel cut oats are supposed to be better for you I hear. Thank you for the lesson on faith. I need it right now, with this waiting to sell our house, etc. I am impatient, and God is not in a hurry with this, so I am trying to simmer down and take it easy. Maybe He wants me to enjoy the holidays instead of feeling stressed about moving. So I will just wait on the Lord to do the moving, and I will have faith that He will do it on time. His time, of course. Have a blessed Thanksgiving with your family.
ReplyDeleteThere you go, Pamela - God wants you to simply enjoy the holidays, placing your present worries/concerns on the backburner for now, and simply revel in the season. He will do everything in His time, and we can't make a whit of difference as to when that will happen.
DeleteGood to know that the steel cut oats are better for you than the regular brands, but there's no option for oatmeal cookies. Darn!
So glad this post spoke to your heart, my friend.
Love and blessings!
30 minutes? You have the patience of Job!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you find that all things lead to a lesson or reminder of who we are in Christ in all matters of your life.
I think that's that rare gift of wisdom, sister.
Enjoy your time away. And an early Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much for your kind words here, Floyd! Yes, if I want oatmeal in the morning, I absolutely have to start it before I think the hunger pains will set in. Timing is everything!
DeleteAnd I'm so grateful that God has given me this ability to simply see the miraculous in the mundane. Truly humbling!
Love and blessings!
I always have oatmeal for breakfast when I'm at the cabin. I like the old fashioned rolled oats. What you tried sounds good too. But more important, I understand your point. I confess, however, that that verse has always evoked mixed feelings in me. For so many years I hoped my son's autism would be "cured." When it wasn't, I felt like a failure as a parent and as a person of faith. After all, if I couldn't even summon a mustard seed of faith, what hope was there for me? I finally came to look at it a different way. The mustard seed of faith moved ME -- I was the mountain!
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family a happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be grateful for.
Oh, wow, Galen, what a revelation you had! Sometimes we are the ones standing in our own way, and it can take a long time for us to realize that, if we ever do. And when our prayers go seemingly unanswered, it's not, I believe, because we have little faith, but that God has better plans.
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you and yours, too!
Love and blessings!
We love Steel cut oats here in chilly Ohio. My hubby cooks them as a treat and now you have made me hungry for them. LOL I do love how you took such an ordinary event and found the spiritual lesson. Made my day! Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteAren't they just the best, Jean? I can't believe I'd never even heard of them before Danny brought them home. And yes, I love finding the miraculous and the ordinary as God reveals them to me. Glad I made your day, my friend, and Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Hello, there! I found you through a comment you left at Floyd's blog, and as I read, my heart went out to you in all you are going through. I so understand the loss of parents and how shaken up one's world feels while walking through the process of losing them and then the sad void and aftermath that is left behind. I clicked on your name and came over to find your beautiful blog and a message about faith that I sorely needed to hear today. I am going to subscribe by email, and it is so wonderful to meet you! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and may God comfort and bless you through all you are dealing with. He is so faithful!
ReplyDeleteHi, Cheryl! It's so wonderful to meet you, too, and I'm glad you have chosen to subscribe to my blog! Thank you so much for your kind and empathetic words here. Yes, the holidays can be tough when we recall past times with loved ones around the table, but I am resolved to simply love the moments I have in the here and now with family. God is faithful, to be sure, and He is with us always, no matter what.
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you and yours, too!
Love and blessings!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thanks so much, Victor! We had a glorious day.
DeleteLove and blessings!
What a beautiful analogy!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, My Friend!
Thanks so much, Lulu! I so appreciate the compliment.
DeleteLove and blessings!