Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Faith”
Our Bible verse for today: “At once the father of the boy gave (an eager, piercing, inarticulate) cry with tears, and he said, Lord, I believe! (Constantly) help my weakness of faith!” Mark 9:24 (The Amplified Bible)
Our thought for today: “Lord increase my faith!”
I can relate to the father in Mark 9:24. I often feel as if my faith is seriously weak and I desperately need the Lord’s help to make it what it should be.
The father in this scene had a son who was demon possessed. For years an evil spirit had tormented the boy and caused him serious mental and physical problems. The father was crushed with grief over his son’s suffering and desperately wanted the boy to be healed. Jesus’ disciples tried to help but were unsuccessful. So the father now appealed to Jesus directly. Jesus gave a hint of hope when he told the father that all things were possible for those whose faith is strong enough. The problem was that the father knew his faith was not strong enough. He knew he was tired and weak and doubtful. So in anguish he cried out to Jesus to help him have stronger faith. The Amplified Bible does a good job of bringing out the man’s sense of helplessness and frustration.
This is me. In big things and in small, my faith is too weak. The good news is that Jesus honored the genuine desire that this man had to be stronger – to believe more, and so He granted the man’s request and healed his son. That father walked away with what he asked for – a healed son and a stronger faith.
This story is in the Bible for a reason. It’s there to show me that Jesus will also honor my genuine desire for stronger faith. I just need to be honest with Him, admit my weakness, and ask for His help. It’s true for you too.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 