My Unbelief

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:24

"Help me overcome my unbelief." What a simple, humble prayer, and to me, one of the most comforting verses in Scripture. I'm so thankful God allowed it in! How often do I feel that way, and then Satan slithers in with his bag of tricks and speaks to me. "Even now with all that God has done for you, you do not believe? Ha! You don't even have the faith of a mustard seed! How worthless you must be to the Almighty! Why would He possibly choose to love someone who forgets that she serves a God who promises she can do all things through Him?" (Phil 4:13) So, I think God sweetly inspired the writer of Mark to include this conversation with Christ.

Here was a man who was there - who'd seen the Lord, heard of the miracles, maybe even met someone who'd been healed. He knew Jesus could do the same for his child. He knew it, or else he wouldn't have sought out Jesus and the Disciples. But even in knowing it, even in having been witness to the many wonders and having heard the very words of Christ, even then, when push came to shove, that sweet, humble man, pleading for his son's healing looks Jesus right in the eyes and begs, "Help me overcome my unbelief!"

How often do I live as a practical atheist, knowing the truth of God, yet doubting it simultaneously? Why do I so stubbornly hold to the notion of the finite when God is infinite? How difficult it is for me to wrap my mind around an Almighty, not a Kindamighty, God!

Yet, He beckons to me, "Seek Me and live." (Amos 5:4). He promises over and over again, “Do not be afraid. I am with you.” (Gen. 26:24, Josh. 3:7, Is. 41:10, 43:5, Jer. 1:8, 1:19, 15:20, 30:11, 42:11, 46:28, Hag. 1:13, 2:24, Matt. 28:20…side note – I loved Jon’s insight into God repeating Himself, The Battle of I) He offers me rest, counsel, wisdom, peace, hope and a future (Matt 11:29, Ps. 32:8, James 1:5, Phil. 4:6-7, Jer. 29:11) The Lord of all declares, “Call to me and I will answer and show you great and mighty things!” (Jer.33:3)

WOW! What would happen if, like Abraham, we were people who did not waiver through unbelief, but were “fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised”? (Rmns 4:20-21) Can you imagine? What if we started to live daily as if we were convinced that we are precious and honored in His sight? (Is. 43:4) Truly, can you imagine? To be precious and honored in the sight of I AM! What if we understood that God is for us? And "If God is for us, who can be against us?"(Rmns.8:31)

Perhaps we need to pray the humble prayer of the man asking Christ to heal his child, "Help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) Lord, may we be fully persuaded that You have the power to do what You have promised.