And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.
And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”--Mark 9:14-29
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
Perhaps this dad saw the inability of the disciples to cast this demon out and it weakened his faith. and he began to wonder if it was possible that his son could ever be healed. Nevertheless, he did the right thing and admitted his unbelief before His Lord. Here are the dad's words in speaking to Jesus.
"But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
Do you hear his doubt? Jesus gently points out to him what power can be wrought by a believing heart by saying this:
"If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
then
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
Looking to Jesus this humble man admitted his unbelief and asked Jesus to help him! What a lesson for us. Look to Him...His grace is sufficient for your every need...your every prayer...your every desire.
The disciples failed in their ability to cast out this demon because they had been lax in regard to their own spiritual walks and had neglected prayer and fasting. We need to be careful in this, however. A close walk with Christ is not a checklist. God doesn't give you victory because you fulfilled all his "requirements." God sees the heart. All your desires are before Him. Manna is given daily...if we neglect God our faith will weaken...as will the power of our witness and our walk. You see our lack of devotion to our daily walks comes from our heart that is filled with other desires that are not from Him. If He were first in our hearts we would run to meet with Him and spend time with Him. It would be a get to, not a have to...a privilege not a duty. Our faith is tended and cultivated by spending time with our Father in Heaven. For our lives to be effective for Him we must be dependent on Him. Time spent in prayer and the word demonstrates our reliance on Him...our want and need of His grace. Our lives and our very countenance begin to reflect His glory.
Girls, you never know when you are going to need His power to work mightily in your life because you never know ahead of time what you will be facing tomorrow. Assume the worst. Spend time now in prayer...in fasting...in the word...so that those times of trial do not come upon you as a tsunami...prepare now while there is still time. There is no substitute for the strength and stability that comes from spending time in His word daily.
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."--Matthew 7:24-27
May each of us be wise builders and build now for the storms that come to try us...
Love
Mom
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