Grab a shovel
Dig in to Operation Mustard Seed
In Matthew 17:20, Jesus tells His doubting disciples that if they had the faith of a minuscule mustard seed, they could move a mountain.
That verse always troubled me, because I never thought I could muster mountain-moving faith.
Then I heard a pastor say, “If you pray for God to move a mountain, you better be ready to wake up next to a shovel.”
That line stuck with me.
Grace through faith saves us (Ephesians 2:8-9) — but as James writes, faith without works is dead (James 2:14). God abundantly supplies grace and strength, but faith grows when we put it to work.
Around the same time this new perspective hit me, a divine appointment put me on the path of a group of men who meet at a ridiculously early hour to sharpen themselves physically and spiritually. The group is called F3 — Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith.
Its defining image is an American flag mounted on a shovel, planted in the ground during each workout as a guidon and gathering point for prayer and a short inspirational message called the Circle of Trust.
I literally found myself praying around a shovel.
Message received, God.
The mustard seed was planted.
It was time to start digging.
The F3 Shovel Flag
Seismic Shifts
Prayer rarely exited my lips until I got around that shovel flag. Soon, prayer became my daily cadence.
I grew hungry to learn more. On my birthday, I resolved to read the entire Bible. I started a reading plan and immersed myself in Scripture. The more I read, the more that seed of faith sprouted and grew.
My wife and I also started a small group at our church. That’s when we really saw mountains move.
Marriages restored.
Prodigals came home.
Baptisms by the dozens.
All for the glory of God.
That doesn’t mean life suddenly became easy. Faith isn’t a shortcut around hardship. Sometimes, it’s simply the only light strong enough to guide you through the darkest valleys.
My Mountain
My first mountains as a child were divorce and the loss of my mother. She died when I was 11, on Christmas morning, casting a shadow of grief over my young life like Everest.
I used that mountain as an excuse to run from God for many years, turning to the world and alcohol instead of saving grace.
From the outside, I managed a normal life. Inside, I was hiding in the shadows.
As a young adult, I worked in newspapers and developed a deep love for writing and storytelling. When the industry buckled under technological pressure, I shifted careers and ran toward the sea, joining the U.S. Navy. That’s probably why the biblical character I relate to most is Jonah.
God gave me a wonderful family — a wife and a son. But deployments brought long separations and stress — another mountain looming large.
Then came that shovel.
And that Bible.
And the family of believers who lifted me up.
And the seismic shifts began.
The Mustard Seed Mission
This project — Operation Mustard Seed — is my attempt to fuse my love of writing and storytelling with my military experiences, using both to glorify God.
I want to use my shovel to move mountains, not bury the talents God entrusted me to steward (Matthew 25:14–30).
And if I’m honest — it scares me to death.
I still have mountains ahead. The grief of losing my mother never fully disappears. But faith has cleared a path.
I now see that my mother was healed — just not on this side of eternity.
I carry a blurry memory of her wearing a t-shirt she bought from a traveling gospel group. Printed on it was Matthew 17:20, with a picture of a mountain.
That’s why the verse always stuck with me.
And now it’s my inspiration to help others move mountains.
I originally planned to launch this at the new year. Planting Operation Mustard Seed at Christmas — a season tied to the grief of her loss — felt like the right way to begin something in her honor.
What This Is — and Where We’re Going
This page will feature a weekly devotional — biblical truth paired with practical tools to help you grow in faith and face the mountains in your path.
Think of it as a virtual toolshed, stocked with shovels for anyone ready to start digging.
Operation Mustard Seed will not be what makes you grow — that is God’s work alone (1 Corinthians 3:6).
Each week will end with a Mountain Mover — a short call-to-action designed to put faith into motion. Operation Mustard Seed will also amplify faith-based content across Facebook and Instagram from ministries carrying the gospel to the world.
So grab your shovel.
Let’s start digging.
Mountain Mover
Pray that this project would glorify God and reach one more person —
that one more soul would trust in the saving grace of Jesus,
or that one more believer would be sent into the world as a bold disciple.
What stood out to you from today’s devotional?
Drop a comment below.
If this encouraged you, share it with someone.
Connect with Operation Mustard Seed on Facebook or Instagram.
Have a testimony or prayer need?
📧 opmustardseed@gmail.com
What stood out for me?
"I now see that my mother was healed — just not on this side of eternity."
How heart-breaking to lose mum at 11, and for it to be Christmas Day just smashes it.
The quote shows great faith and trust. I look forward to seeing what challenges you will set out, and more importantly, how I will address them.
Thankyou.
Welcome - off to a great start with this one! Subscribed ~ Rosie