IF YOU CAN BELIEVE

“Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”” ~ Mark 9:23

REFERENCE
Mark 9:14-27

We serve an Omnipotent God before whom impossibility and possibility make no difference. His power suspended the starry heavens and planted the majestic mountains. He is limitless in power and no purposes of His can be withheld from Him. There is no telling to what He can do for us and in our lives; but, how come we don’t see Him work in our lives as much as we desire?

The father of the young boy in our story shows us why. He prayed to Jesus (brought the boy to Him). I don’t know how many miles he walked to get to Jesus, I don’t know how much it cost him or how many days it took him. I can’t even tell for how long he had longed for an opportunity to have an audience with Him, but isn’t it interesting that with all the effort he put into coming and praying, he really didn’t think Jesus could solve his problem. He admitted by himself, “But if You can do anything…” It sounds absurd, doesn’t it? You left the comfort of your home, went to a great length to seek help from someone you don’t think can do anything…I don’t get it!!!

God’s biggest work most times is not for Him to do great things for us or through us; it is for Him to get us to believe that indeed, He can do great things for us and through us. The man admitted again, after being confronted by Jesus, “…help my unbelief.” Unbelief or doubt then becomes the chief thief of God’s works of miracle in our lives. It becomes the unscalable mountain that we unconsciously put before God. It doesn’t often show in our prayers; the fact that we go to great lengths to pray, or go to church and cry out to God over and over makes it sometimes difficult to spot the doubt and unbelief. However, it resides silently in the heart…in our heart of hearts. It took Jesus’ probing question to expose the man; when Jesus said to him, “If you can believe…” then we saw that amidst all his external correctness, doubt and unbelief lurked in his heart.

How many things do we cry to God about in prayers but have not really confronted ourselves with the question, “Do I really believe that God can do this thing?”  It is time to reappraise, not just your prayer point, but the condition of your heart; your resolute confidence in God’s ability and willingness to step into your life and turn that situation around. It is time to ask Him to heal your heart of unbelief, that there may be nothing there but absolute faith in His power. And when you get to that point, indeed ALL THINGS WILL BE POSSIBLE TO YOU; yes, if you can believe!

PHOTO QUOTE

ADDITIONAL STUDY
Matthew 21:18-22, John 20:27-29, & Hebrews 11:1-11

REFLECTION

Do you have areas in your life where you struggle to believe that God can come through for you? If yes, in what areas?

What would you do from here on to rid your heart of any form of unbelief, and to develop resolute faith in the power and goodness of God?