When Jesus spoke the words “Have faith in God” in Mark 11:22, He wasn’t giving a random piece of advice or a vague spiritual slogan. He was speaking in response to a miracle—a moment of judgment that carried a powerful message.
Just the day before, Jesus had come to a fig tree, full of leaves, signaling that it should bear fruit. But when He came closer, He found nothing but leaves. No fruit. No substance. No reality behind the appearance. And Jesus, the loving Savior, did something shocking—He cursed the tree. The next day, as the disciples passed by, they were stunned to see that the tree had withered from the roots up.
This was no accident. It was an object lesson.
The fig tree symbolized something much deeper. It represented Israel—a nation that had all the outward signs of religion but no inward fruit of righteousness. They had the temple. They had the law. They had the rituals. But they had no true spiritual life. They had the leaves, but no fruit.
Jesus used that moment to teach a profound truth—not just about judgment, but about faith. You see, just as the fig tree withered at His word, so also the believer’s life can be powerful and fruitful through His word—by faith.
So, He turned to His disciples and said, “Have faith in God.”
That message is just as relevant today. Because many of us live like that fig tree—we have leaves but no life. We know the right words, we show up at church, we put on the spiritual front—but where is the fruit?
Where is the power? Where is the peace, the joy, the trust in God when life gets hard?
We get frustrated when things wither in our lives—when jobs fall through, when relationships dry up, when our plans crumble. But maybe God is letting certain things wither to get our attention. Maybe He’s reminding us not to trust in the appearance of life, but in the Author of life.
The fig tree teaches us that God is not interested in surface-level religion. He’s looking for a faith that produces real fruit. He’s looking for people who trust Him when they can’t trace Him, believe Him when they can’t see Him and hold on to Him when everything else falls apart.
So Jesus didn’t say, “Try harder.” He didn’t say, “Look better.” He said something deeper: “Have faith in God.”
Because it’s not your strength that produces fruit—it’s your surrender. It’s not your performance that pleases God—it’s your faith. Jesus didn’t just give a suggestion—He gave a command: “Have faith in God.”
That command is still echoing through the centuries, through the storms, through the sorrow, and it reaches you today.
When the future is uncertain— have faith in God.
When the pressure is mounting—have faith in God.
When your heart is broken—have faith in God.
When it just does not make any sense—have faith in God.
When all have forsake you—have faith in God.
When you want to give up—have faith in God.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:6
