According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, doubt can be defined as a lack of confidence or an inclination not to believe. How many of us can be real and say that we have had instances where we doubted God’s Words that He spoke to us? I can admit that there have been instances where I have doubted God’s Words to me. The primary reasoning included me entertaining negative thoughts that I had allowed the enemy to plant into my mind. These thoughts typically lead me to a place where my emotions became bigger than God’s Words spoken to me or to a place where my focus shifted from God’s Words to the circumstances around me. I recently had a moment where I had to say, “Lord, help my unbelief”. Let’s Talk!
In Mark 9: 17-27, you can read in detail about a father who sought to have his son delivered from a dumb spirit. I’m not going to leave you hanging so I’m going to give you a summary. In verse 18, the father encountered Jesus and described how the spirit had affected his son. He told Jesus that he attempted to have His disciples to cast the spirit out, but they could not cast it out. In verse 19, Jesus calls the people an unbelieving generation and told the father to bring his son to Him. In verse 21, Jesus proceeded to ask the father how long the spirit had inhabited his son to which the father replied since he was a child. In verse 22, the father told Jesus that the spirit had attempted to kill the boy on multiple occasions before proceeding to tell Jesus that if He could do anything, to have pity on them and help them. In verse 23, Jesus replied, “What do you mean, ‘If I can?’; Anything is possible if a person believes.” In verse 24, the father cried out and said, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” Jesus did cast the spirit out of the son (verses 25-27).
Let’s get into a few key points within those scriptures! In verse 21, the father reveals that the spirit had attempted to kill the boy by throwing him into the fire and the water. Isn’t that the enemy’s agenda when it comes to us as well? Doesn’t he seek to kill, steal and destroy our focus, mindset, future, plans, progress, walk with Jesus, vision, direction, families, relationships, etc? Yes, he does according to John 10:10. Do you think the enemy wants you to believe that God can do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)? No, he does not. He desires for us to doubt God and His capabilities. In verse 22, the father says “if”. This made me wonder if the father actually knew what Jesus was capable of doing. In verse 23, Jesus lets the father know that if he believed, all things would be possible. This verse solidifies the need for us to believe or in other words, HAVE FAITH. In order for us to receive what God has already spoken and continues to speak to us, we must first believe that those things can and will happen. How do you think it will look if God blesses you with a 4 bedroom house when you can’t even imagine yourself living within a 4 bedroom house? How do you think it would look if God blesses you with a loving spouse when you don’t think you deserve love from another person? How do you think it would look if God blesses your business with overflow but you can’t see beyond the amount you are currently making? How do you think God will give you exceedingly abundantly more when you only desire “enough”?
Do you think the father truly doubted what Jesus was capable of doing? He had to have heard about the signs, miracles and wonders that Jesus had been performing. We know that Jesus’ name rang amongst many conversations between the Jews, Scribes and Pharisees while they were attempting to identify who He was. Remember that the father had described what this dumb spirit had done to his son and informed Jesus that it had inhabited the son since he was a child. Hear me out. Imagine how witnessing this spirit control his son affected the father. Imagine how helpless he felt when attempting to protect and save his son but couldn’t. Just imagine. So maybe his focus was on the situation and circumstances instead of on believing that his son could be delivered. ORRR maybe he was so exhausted and hopeless that he allowed his emotions to override his belief. After all, he had dealt with this situation for years. He had believed that the disciples could help him and his son, but they were not able to cast the spirit out. Could that have affected his belief? Maybe so. And even then, Jesus was so gracious, merciful, and kind enough to fulfill the father’s request. And He will do the very same for us, but we must have faith!
I want to encourage you today to do a faith checkup. It is essential for us to continue to walk by faith despite our circumstances and emotions. I would like to leave you with two verses to wrap this post up. Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. In other words, you have to believe it before you see it and receive it. And as mentioned above, Mark 9:23, says anything is possible if a person believes. You must believe that God is capable of doing anything. You must believe that whatever He has told you will come to past. You must believe.
Read, dissect, and meditate on the above mentioned scriptures.
Real Talk with Keve 