Word for Today, September 08, 2009: Can we believe?
Powered-by-4-for-Mr_-Masinick-September-08-2009.emlPosted by: masinick <masinick@...>
I believe that God has a great sense of humor and He enjoys happiness, joy, and laughter, but in this story, I believe we are looking more at a case of whether we can believe God to do incredible things that we simply cannot fathom or understand. Do we believe that or not?
I choose to believe. I certainly have no idea whatsoever how those things may - or will - come to pass, but anything that God says is most certainly certain - it is the One thing that IS certain.
I do not know what will happen or not happen in my life, but the one thing I cannot see, yet I trust, is in the Presence of God and that He is in control of all things. I cannot even know what God is doing in my life at this moment, but I am confident. The more I think about it, the more I want to take my hands completely off the steering wheel and turn my palms upward in complete surrender to Him.
I falter in this. Sometimes my lack of faith creates doubt, and Satan, ever watchful for opportunities, preys on this. When I come to my senses, though, I know for certain that God is in control of all things. Why can't God create life in the barren Sarah? Why can't God bring to life a virgin birth and through Him bring to us a Savior? Why can't God do whatever it is in our lives that prevents us from accomplishing whatever He has intended for us? The only thing I can think of is a lack of faith; unbelief, therefore, I respond as the father did in this Gospel message:
17A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
19"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
20So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered. 22"It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
23"'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
24Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evila spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
26The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
29He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer. (Mark 9:17-29, NIV, courtesy of http://niv.scripturetext.com/
Yours in Christ,
Brian
See also the attached Powered By 4 devotional message, which led to writing these thoughts.