If you have been in church for any length of time, you probably have heard a sermon on the “mustard seed” Kingdom of God. Found in three of the four gospels, the scripture is typically used to make the point that the Kingdom of God comes as a tiny mustard seed, and we will not see the fullness until Jesus returns. There is some element of truth to that, as Jesus triumphant return to this earth will bring a finality and totality to the increasing Kingdom. But that’s not really the point.

Everywhere we look in the Bible, we see ordinary people walking out extraordinary, unlimited lives, doing simply astounding things – things that most of them had no business doing. There are so many to choose from, but one I particularly identify with is Peter.

At the moment, my favorite book of the Bible is Genesis.  From the very beginning, God sets a very active pattern.  He sees something that is not as though it already is, and then speaks it into existence, creating a new reality in which that something then exists.  This operation of faith is always applied to chaos and the result is a new order.  Faith is not hard for God.

It may seem a bit odd to say that God has faith, but it is the essence of who He is and how He operates.  Faith is being certain of what is unseen.  He is equally sure of what is not yet in existence as He is of the current state of the chaos.  For us then, faith is being able to look into that chaos and see something that is about to become our substance.  One of God’s biggest challenges through the ages seems to be convincing His creation of their duty, and ability, to live out this kind of faith.