Jesus
said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that
believeth. And straightaway the father of the child cried out and said with
tears, “Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:23,24
I
often pray, wanting to believe, but find that my belief is tempered with
“reality” or “reason”. The father referred to in the scripture had watched for
years, as his son was tortured with seizures and disability. The demons that
plagued the young man caused much physical suffering. We can well imagine that
this father had been to countless doctors, tried countless remedies, all to no
avail. He must have been told many times that a cure was foolish hope. He was
certainly reasonable in believing that nothing could be done. Yet when he was
faced with the idea of one more opportunity for help, he cried out immediately
that he did believe, yet knew that he could not believe enough. His prayer was
an eloquent entreaty to God for belief that was beyond reason. He asked for
faith. God healed the son, but perhaps the greater gift was to the father who
received hope, assurance, and humility.
Prayer: Powerful God, forgive our inadequate faith.
Your mercies to us are without limit. Empower us to give without reservation
and to believe in spite of reality. As we receive your gifts to us, let us
return the honor and glory to you. Amen.
Deb Kilian (reprinted from August 2012)
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