Encouragement: I believe; help my unbelief

Here is your daily encouragement words and thoughts. Today I bring you encouragement from Mark 9:14-29

14 When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and experts in the law arguing with them. 15 When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran at once and greeted him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 A member of the crowd said to him, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that makes him mute. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able to do so.” 19 He answered them, “You unbelieving generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him to me.” 20 So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Then Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”25 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up.28 Then, after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Mk 9:14-29). Biblical Studies Press.

This story comes right after the transfiguration story, the mountain top experience. Jesus gets back to the other disciples and finds them in discussion with the experts in the law.

I really feel for the 9 disciples here. Jesus had left them behind to take care of business and they are not doing so well. They were trying their best and just did not seem to be making the grade. I think here that they were trying to act in there own power, not realizing that God was working through them and that they needed to be in prayer to keep the relationship flowing.

We also see that in their failure to cast out the demon, they had opened the door for doubt to creeping in.

The father probably had approached the disciples with the high hopes of a cured son. Now as the father, not wanting to be disappointed again, asks Jesus "But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Note the "if you are able" the father wants success but does not want to get his hopes up too high. Jesus challenges him on his own words "if you are able" he says "If you are able?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.” The father immediately responds with "I believe; help my unbelief!” The father wants to believe but realizes that he needs help to believe and Jesus is the one to ask for that help. Once the father asks for help with his unbelief, Jesus goes to work on the problem.

Even on our strongest days of faith, we can declare that we believe but we must also be in prayer and ask for help with our unbelief. Believing is a gift of grace and as Jesus says "All things are possible for the one who believes." Prayer is key to the relationship and it is through this close relationship that we can trust God and believe.

I like how Jesus tells his disciples in private. Hey guys you just need to remember to pray. Words we all need to hear.

Amen

Music Encouragement A living Prayer Alison Krauss