By Michael Hamblin

The young pastor and his party were crossing the Rocky Mountains in a rush. They wanted to reach a fishing village in Oregon before the snow fall closed all the passes in the mountains. The Lord blessed their trip as they went on their journey.

However, an unseasonably early blizzard blew in from the Northwest. Traveling was harsh, and each day was a struggle. They were running behind their schedule. Food and water were being rationed, and they were already out of coffee. Only one week’s food remained.

They were hundreds of miles from the nearest civilization. If they couldn’t make it through to the coast soon, their supplies would run out.

One of the horses died. They couldn’t continue on without losing a wagon. The group prepared to loose the wagon which carried “unneccessesaries”, Bibles, the young pastor’s library, building materials for the new church, and a brand new printing press and thousands of feet of paper, all donated from good, God-fearing folks back east.

The young pastor asked what was going on. He caught them at the right moment, as they were about to roll the whole wagon down into a ravine, since they could not carry it with them.

The young pastor was quite insistent–they would not continue with the supply wagon, and instead would take the wagon laden with “unneccessaries”. The leader of the group tried to argue with him, and tried to talk some sense into him, but the young pastor wouldn’t budge. He just couldn’t see reason. Somehow, though, through the young pastor’s loving spirit and tremendous desire to continue, the leader submitted to the young pastor’s desires, to the dismay of the rest of the group. There was talk of leaving the party and taking what they could carry of the supplies, but it did not amount to much, there was nowhere to go. Nowhere to go but forward.

A day later, the young pastor was praying to God with all his heart. His enforced fast had made him question God’s leadership in leaving the supply wagon. Each time he decided it was the right thing to do. He prayed for the party he was with. There was understandably a lot of strife between him and the leader. He prayed for strength for the journey.

The hungry group approached a high steep pass. When it came into view, they could clearly see it was completly covered with snow. They were completly cut off from the village they were headed for.

There’s no way to get through–You led us out here to die, with no food or supplies! They screamed at the young pastor. You see how foolish this was! Now we have been found our death out here in this wintry graveyard!

The young pastor cried and prayed. It was just like the children of Israel in the desert. He prayed, Lord, please use me to show them your love and power. They are so unwilling to believe, Lord. Please work on their hearts.

A sharp wind blew and the yound pastor’s bible opened to the Book of Luke. He read there:

Luke 17:5-6
And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

He remembered that with faith, men could move mountains. The Lord’s power was real. The Holy Spirit decended on the young pastor and he knew what he had to do.

The Lord told us go, he said. The Lord will always provide a way if he commands us to go. We need to have faith. If we have faith even as a mustard seed, we can move mountains through Jesus name.

The members of the group were not impressed. They mocked him and said, If God can do anything, tell him to clear the pass.

If it be the will of the Lord, so be it. He said. Crying out across the the valley to the pass on the other side, he screamed with all his faith. Mountain, in the Name of Jesus Christ I command thee to clear the pass!

The group just watched. A break appeared in the snow. A low rumbling sound was echoing from the far wall of the valley. The earth began to shake. Boulders of snow started falling from the pass. An avalanche had started!

Staring from the other side of the valley, the grouped watching in amazement as the pass miraculously cleared itself. Not a jaw was closed, as the young pastor prayed, Oh Lord, thank you… They were finally able to cross the pass!

Only a days travel later they reached the village on the Pacific Ocean. The town was abuzz. The story was rampant from mouth to mouth in the town: There was a man here who could move mountains! And the testimonies of those who were eye-witnesses of the event excited the city.

But the young pastor gave all the glory to God. My faith, but His power he would say. The church by grew hundreds that day, following the Lord in salvation and baptism.

Copyright © 1997, Michael Hamblin, All Rights Reserved.

Permission to copy this text, electronically or otherwise, is hereby given so long as the copyright notice is retained. Furthermore, permission is hereby given to re-publish this text so long as the copyright notice is retained.

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