Faith
This life is hard. This life is full of trouble and heartache, loss. How is it that we are to go through this life, holding fast to the truths of God, when so much struggle and darkness is around? It is faith. Faith in the one True and Living God. Faith in the Word of God and its words of truth. Faith in Christ, who put on the flesh of man, died a gruesome death on our behalf, and rose again on the third day, defeating the bondage of death and the grave. It is faith in Christ that satisfies our souls in our greatest time of need.
In Mark 9, we read of an interaction between a father, longing to see his son find relief from a spirit that dwells within him, and Jesus and His disciples. Jesus noticed that the father and the disciples were arguing, and He inquired as to why there seemed to be a quarrelsome spirit amongst them. The father confessed to his son's ailments and the disciples' inability to drive the spirit out of the boy. Jesus responds with a rebuking tone, challenging their unbelief, and begins to ask the son’s father about the suffering he is enduring.
21 “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father. “From childhood,” he said. 22 “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: Come out of him and never enter him again.” - Mark 9:21-25
Augustine, commenting on verse 24, says this: “And whose faith when fully matured would not move mountains? (Mt 17:20) Look at the apostles themselves, who would not have left all they had, trodden under foot this world’s hope and followed the Lord, if they had not had proportionally great Faith. And yet if they had already experienced a completely matured faith, they would have not said to the Lord, “Increase our faith” (Lk 17:5).
Even those walking with Jesus face-to-face struggled to have faith great enough to drive out the demon who was consuming this little boy; how then can we expect to have faith great enough to defend against every struggle and obstacle we face each day?
Henry Blackaby writes, “When you are struggling to believe, that is not the time to avoid Christ or to be ashamed of your struggle. You will never increase your faith by not going to Jesus! Rather, Jesus wants to help you with your belief. He can not only meet your need, but He will also give you faith to trust Him to provide for you.”
In those times of struggle, those days of hurt, don’t hide from God but rather press into Him. Go to Him with your headache; lay your burdens at His feet, and He will give you rest. As we are encouraged to do in Psalm 121, lift your eyes to God, for He is where your help comes from, the maker of heaven and earth.
Love you and mean it!
