Series: Flowers in the Desert
Hopeless to Hopeful
*Mark 11:24-25 ESV
Mark 11:12-14 ESV
Mark 11:20-23 ESV
Mark 11:24-25 ESV
All Things Good (Romans 8:28)
Mark 11:24 is another “stumper” scripture that I’ve wrestled with for years.
When I was younger I thought, whatever I ask I have to believe it enough so that can receive it.
If I didn’t receive it, the fault was mine because I failed to believe it.
Do you see where the ‘onus’ was on?
Through the years as I wrestled with it I came to a point where I was frustrated with myself. I felt like there was a sort of separation between myself and God and it was my fault.
To add to the problem, the great divide just seemed to get wider and wider.
Scriptures like Mark 11:24 were my basis for what I perceived as my failure. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
I would pray and I expected a specific outcome. When I didn’t receive that outcome, I thought I had failed.
The hardest part was that I felt like I was letting God down.
Many scriptures that I read during that time played into my confusion. For example in Mark 11:12-14 we are told, “On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.”
I didn’t understand what that scripture meant. It seemed puzzling. I didn’t understand that the fig tree was a symbol of Israel. In time, I eventually learned…really learned that scripture really is holy and has holy meaning.
During the time when I was disappointed in myself I suffered many losses. I did not believe that God was punishing me, but I came to a point where I was grieving all of my losses and I was almost completely in despair. A friend at work invited me to go to her church and I reluctantly accepted.
Going there turned out to be exactly what I needed.
It took time but I came to realize that my perspective was focused on me and my ability to understand or succeed or to get anything right. I learned to stop looking inwardly at my human self. Instead my thoughts were slowly refocused on God.
Looking further at Mark 11:20-23, “As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.p Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.”
In time I also learned to look at scripture through a different lens. Remember, the fig tree represented something bigger. Israel was far far away from God, but they didn’t know it. Jesus’ response ‘have faith’ pointed the disciples back to trusting in God. It was NOT for the purpose of pointing AT so they would be able to believe enough to move a mountain. It was for the purpose of coming to a point where they relied on God. Jesus wanted them to let God be God and to trust Him.
What Jesus was telling them was so much easier that what I thought it was.
I had to learn to go to God as a child. I learned to receive God’s love and care. My focus shifted from what I was able to do to what God had for me…His love and care.
Relying on God for everything came to mean for every breath. My prayer focus changed. I stopped asking God for physical outward things and I started asking God to help me to receive His love. I asked God to make my relationship with Him “real”.
Mark 11:24-25 tells us, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Gradually I came to realize that “all things work together for good.” (Romans 8:28)
Take Mark 11 and the withered fig. Israel had withered.
Jesus came (who was OF Israel).
Something very beautiful emerged and Israel was given hope through Jesus.
Gradually, my perspective completely changed in my life as well.
When something difficult happened, I prayed and I asked God to show me the good that would come from it.
Every every every time, God shows me the good.
When we turn to God, something that appears to be utterly hopeless will turn to hopeful, and then filled with Hope.
I’m not saying it’s a game, but watching Jesus turn hopeless into Hopeful makes me love God even more!
Spiritual Practice: Hopeless
When you feel hopeless, ask God to show you the Hope.
In God, Deborah
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