In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus heals a boy “possessed by a spirit” (9:17). The father approaches Jesus for help by saying, “If you can do anything . . . help us” (9:22). Jesus is stunned by the father’s conditional word, “if.” When the father hears the surprised tone in Jesus’ voice, he cries out, “Help me overcome my unbelief” (9:24). The father says this as though, suddenly, his own words have just caught his ear and he realizes the depth of his sin of unbelief.
Jesus filled with compassion helps the father overcome his unbelief by casting out the spirit in the boy, but not without allowing the spirit to give the boy a terrible seizure, possibly one of the worst the boy has ever had. As the boy convulses the father can only watch and trust Jesus. It is during this chaos, this terrible sight of his son lashing around in a grand mal seizure, that the father is saved from his unbelief. After the seizure the nature of God is revealed to the father as the boy finally becomes calm, and he is healed.
Like this father, we all have places in our lives in which we suffer from the sin of unbelief. When we ask to be cured of unbelief, we should expect chaos to ensue as Satan whips into a frenzy to dissuade us. But we need to stand firm in the truth that God will banish the chaos, and we will see the glory of the Son.
Photo by Quentin Dr
Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.
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Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2