In Mark 9:14-24, we find the account of a man desperate for Jesus to heal his son.
In verse 23 – we see the promise that “Everything is possible for one who believes.” And in verse 24 we see the honest transparency of this father’s heart as he struggles with what he knows and what he wants. “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
We’ve all been there. Some of us are there now.
Faith is not something that once you have it, you can simply check it off your list and move on to that next thing you need to round out your spiritual inventory.
Faith can be like the tide; the ebb and flow as it comes in, then sweeps out. Sometimes it’s high and other times it is low.
The father in Mark 9, acknowledges that struggle. “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
The past few weeks have been like that for me.
On January 19th, Jon was diagnosed with Covid Pneumonia and admitted to the ICU. During this time, we have received limited information and have only recently been able to visit him in the hospital. Each day, the hospital staff have worked tirelessly to keep him breathing. Each day, they continue to try to restore him to health. To say that this has been a very difficult and trying time would be a gross understatement. Yet, even as I make my way, stumbling as I go along this broken and frightening path, I know that there are others who are trying to navigate their own impossible journey.
This morning, people are waking up to financial challenges, health issues, death, trauma, and emotional upheaval. I know that I am not alone in my suffering.
The question then becomes, where do I go from here? The situation has not changed. There have been no answers or break-throughs in the last 5 minutes and my heart is still breaking with the knowledge that I don’t know what tomorrow will bring for us.
When the Earth all around me is sinking sand On Christ, the solid rock I stand When I need a shelter, when I need a friend I go to the rock
I Go to the Rock by Dottie Rambo
In this moment, I simply and honestly echo the cry of the father in Mark chapter 9: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Even as I make that statement, I am reminded of those who have gone before; those who faced giants, were thrown in the fiery furnace, spent the night in a den of lions, were confronted by raging seas, suffered the death of a loved one, and experienced loss. Each one, probably had a similar “I do believe; help me to overcome my unbelief” moment. And each one still had to go through the difficulty to experience the victory.
'Cause I still believe in Your faithfulness 'Cause I still believe in Your truth 'Cause I still believe in Your holy word And even when I don't see, I still believe
I Still Believe by Jeremy Camp
The promises of God are not simply platitudes that we can recite to get us through difficult times. They are declarations of what we believe. They are the confessions that can move us from the place of unbelief to the position of faith. They have the power to change our perspective.
In 2 Timothy 1:12 – Paul tells Timothy, “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”
Today, right now, I choose to declare that “I know whom I have believed in.” And, in the knowing, I am reminded that He does not change based on our circumstances. He is still God. He is still in control. He still loves me unconditionally, and He will never leave me to face these challenges alone. It's in that declaration that I finally find my belief.
I know that You are good I know that You are kind I know that You are so much more Than what I leave behind I know that I am loved I know that I am safe 'Cause even in the fire to live is Christ, to die is gain I know that You are good
I Know by Big Daddy Weave
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