In Mark 9 we find a story that is familiar to Jesus’ earthly ministry, people coming to Him asking Him to heal someone or themselves. But, this story is interesting in a different light.
“And one of 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.” (Mark 9:17-27)
They bring this demon possessed young boy to Jesus hoping that MAYBE He can help. Notice what the father of the boy asks, “But IF You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus response was quite appropriate, “If You can? All things are possible to him who believes.” – What do you mean “IF” I can? Uhm…hello….I’m GOD! Of course, the father immediately admits his lack of complete faith and says, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
WAY too many of us as Christians have that same attitude towards God. We pray and ask God for strength to fight the flesh and the world, but then we go on like we always have because we doubt God’s ability to truly help us. We ask God for guidance on how to live our lives, but when we get that guidance from His Word, we don’t follow it, because we’re not really sure it will work? We claim to love God, yet we ignore His commandments, we live like everyone else in the world, we continue to live contrary to what is pleasing to Him, because we don’t really think it matters.
I’m sure Jesus looks at many people who CLAIM to be Christians and weeps like He did over Jerusalem in Matthew 23, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37). He says, If you REALLY love Me, why do You live like you don’t? And many people’s response is basically, “Well, IF I really believed in You, I would obey, but I’m not really sure about this Christian life.”
EVERY SINGLE PROMISE IN GOD’S WORD IS TRUE!!! God means EXACTLY what He says. And HELLO! HE IS GOD!! When He says STOP following the world and give Me your life, that’s what He means. He can do a LOT more with our lives than we can EVER EVER EVER do!
Don’t look at God’s Word and the promises He makes and say “IF”, look at them and say, “God NEVER Fails! I’m going to TRUST and OBEY Him!”
Do you know Him today as your Savior? If so, what are you waiting for? Trust Him COMPLETELY and watch Him work in your life!!