“And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24
This verse is about Jesus healing the boy with the unclean spirit. The father of the boy knew that Jesus and His disciples were doing some pretty incredible things, so he decided to take his son to the disciples for help. They were not able to cast out the evil spirit. Jesus, in His love, then came and asked the man what he was looking for? The man asked for compassion and help for his son.
What struck me about this story was the vulnerability of that man — his unbelief was so visible. He didn’t act as if he knew everything or had all of the answers. He wasn’t proud about what he thought he knew. Instead, his response was “I believe, help my unbelief!” He confessed that he had some faith but also recognized his spiritual weakness. He appealed to Jesus to create in him a heart that truly believed.
As we go through our daily walks with Christ, we need to remember this man’s example. We need to pray as he did. James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask God”. How often do we express our unbelief to our Father? It’s natural to have doubts, but those are the times that we need to cry out to Jesus! Our pride can get in the way, however. We want others to think that “we have it all together” or that we don’t ever have unbelief in our lives. The truth is, when we come to Jesus with an honest, open heart (expressing exactly how we are feeling), He will guide us along the right path.
We can learn a good deal from the man in the verses above (about his vulnerability to express his unbelief to Jesus). When we come to the times of unbelief in our lives, we need to call out to our Father in prayer. He can and will help us get through those times. Take some time today and ask God to help you increase your faith.
Crying out to the Father –
Tony
Posted in A Word from the Pastor