DAILY DEVOTIONAL FROM PASTOR WESLEY July 25, 2024
Living by Faith
When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” And one in the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can’? All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.” Mark 9:14-29
Do you struggle with doubts about God’s power? If so, the reason is probably because He hasn’t answered prayer as you expected. But that doesn’t prove He’s unable to do what you desire; it just demonstrates He had a different plan in mind. Living by faith isn’t a matter of expecting God to do what you want but of trusting Him to do what He desires.
Sometimes we may feel like the man in today’s story, whose son was possessed by an evil spirit. He struggled with doubts about Christ’s ability to heal people even though Jesus had repeatedly proven that He could. We can all identify with the father’s response, “I do believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).
At times even Christians experience some uncertainty regarding God’s ways, truth, or ability. Thankfully, when that happens, He is gracious to us in our weakness. Yet lingering doubts can be a spiritual hindrance. Scripture says a doubter is “double-minded” and “unstable in all his ways” and should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-8).
To overcome doubts and walk confidently by faith, we must learn to know our Father’s character, ways, and desires through His Word. Then we will have a foundation for trust even when our requests seem unanswered.
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