“Immediately the father of the boy cried out [with a desperate, piercing cry], saying, “I do believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief.”
Mark 9:24 AMP
Grace Perspective:
To believe someone means we place our confidence in them and trust them to do what they say. In this passage, a father pleads with Jesus to heal his son, who was afflicted by an unclean spirit. The father had faith that Jesus could heal his son but struggled to believe He would. His faith was weak, but it was there.
His plea for Jesus to help him overcome unbelief is an encouragement to us when our faith wavers because life is hard and God seems far away. When we cry out to Jesus to help us in our unbelief, we can trust that He will help us believe that He is good to those who call on Him for help.
A Touch of Grace:
How do you struggle to believe God?
In what ways has God shown you that He can be believed?
Grace Application:
Where do you struggle to believe God, or perhaps when do you struggle to believe God? Is it when stress is overwhelming you? When chaos seems to become the norm? When you’re sick, or someone you love is ill? So many scenarios come to mind when the hard things in life threaten to shake our belief in God’s goodness, that He can help us, or even that He will genuinely forgive all our sins.
In this passage, the father knew that Jesus could heal his child but struggled to trust that Christ would. The father cried out in desperation for the Lord to help him believe. We see that believing means trusting that He can help us overcome our unbelief. Jesus will not turn from anyone who sincerely asks for help.
The first step towards gracious belief is to trust that Christ will forgive our sins. Jesus can save even the most wretched sinner – those who have done unspeakable acts. Take King Manasseh, for example. He was a horrible ruler and led the nation of Judah into wicked idolatry, child sacrifice, and worship of demons. He was taken to prison with a brass ring through his nose and endured harsh treatment by the Assyrians. While imprisoned, he realized how far he’d turned from God, how sinful he really was. So he called out to God for mercy. 2 Chronicles 33:13 tells us, “He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.” Manasseh believed God would hear his cry and turned from his grievous sin into the arms of grace.
Even if our faith is weak, like the father in Mark 9:24, we can ask Jesus for strength. He is ready to help us believe that His word is true and encourage our frail faith to grow stronger. So turn to Him, dear friend, and let Him help you overcome your unbelief.
Prayer
Gracious Father, I come to You In the precious name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, thankful that You are willing to help my unbelief. Your mercy and goodness are overwhelming as I struggle with (____________________). Help me see that even when pain, sorrow, and my struggles with sin seem futile, I can cry out to You, and You will strengthen my faith. Grow my frail belief to be strong so that others will see Your work in my heart and be drawn to You. May my life bring You glory. Amen
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubts, please call out to God so that all doubt is erased. Today is a good day to be assured of Salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**