Do you believe?

Read Mark 9:14-29

We need to quit trying to figure out the impossible things that the Lord wants us to accept by faith. One of the greatest problems we face today is perspective. That is, we tend to focus on the situations of life instead of looking at the One who is in control of our situations.

How many of us can relate to the man in Mark 9? He is a man experiencing the troubles of life, a man who is need of a deliverer. And so what does he do? He turns to Jesus. Here standing in front of the Son of God the man begs Him, “If you can do anything, please help me.”

If You can do anything…Seems like a silly thing to say to Jesus, but how often do we say this very thing. It is like we are pleading to God in hopes that He is who He says He is. It is like we pray without really believing in the words we are praying. And how does Jesus respond…

“If you can!” The question is not “if Jesus can,” of course He can. The question is, do we actually believe He can?

Like the dad, Jesus turns to each of us and tells us that, “All things are possible for one who believes” (v 23). We have only to believe but if you are like me, when you hear these words, “all things are possible for one who believes” I have to admit that sometimes I struggle to believe.

I mean how many of us are willing to respond with the honesty of the dad? He said these words, which have been the encouragement of many since: “I do believe; help my unbelief!” 

Out of the honesty of his weakness, he cast himself on the Lord. “Yes, Lord, I do believe; but I feel my unbelief and I don't know how to handle it. Fill me with Your Spirit and make me believe.”

The moment he said those words, the moment he cast himself in his weakness back on the Lord was the very thing that Jesus wanted. Our Lord spoke the words, and his son was delivered. Jesus wants us to give everything to Him—to believe in nothing else before Him.

He wants us to risk stepping fully into His presence so that He might increase our faith.

Question is, do you believe?