READING: Genesis 24-25; Psalm 4; Mark 9
The honesty of the father of the demon-possessed boy in Mark 9 was decidedly honest. He believed that Jesus could heal his son, but his faith was a struggling one. He desperately wanted Jesus to help him believe: “Immediately the father of the boy cried out, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:24). His faith was not perfect, but that makes sense to me since Jesus’ disciples had themselves failed miserably in their attempted exorcism. If Jesus’ own followers could not win this battle, then why should the boy’s father assume his own victory?
I can only wonder today how many people want to believe in Jesus, but they struggle because they see weak and ineffective faith in Jesus’ followers—that is, in us. We say God’s in control, yet we allow worries to consume us. We talk about God’s willingness to answer prayer, but we wonder where He is when His response is delayed. We proclaim His grace even while we fear He won’t forgive us. Our actions simply don’t match our words—and the world struggles with believing the Jesus we claim to follow.
On the other hand, how grateful I am that God responds to our weak faith! His response is dependent on the depth of His love, not on the degree of faith we can muster.
PRAYER: “Lord, I do believe. Please help my unbelief.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Genesis 26-27, Mark 10