January 25 “Believe!”

Believe!

Jesus said a remarkable thing—all things are possible to him who believes!
A mixed crowd gathered around the disciples. Many people believed in Jesus but the religious officials—scribes, experts in the Law—did not believe. In fact they disputed all the evidence in front of them. Perhaps they were hiding something.

A Desperate Father
When some in the crowd saw Jesus approaching they ran to meet Him, greeting Him warmly, much to the displeasure of the scribes. Jesus looked at the scribes:

“What are you discussing with them?”

Perhaps He was ready for the Twelve to go it alone with the enemy. Someone in the crowd answered, the man at the center of the dispute. He told Jesus that he had brought his son to be healed and delivered from satanic possession. The last thing the scribes needed was demonstration of the power of Jesus in their presence.

It was an extreme case. The boy was mute. The spirit within him was known to seize him and throw him to the ground foaming at the mouth, his teeth gnashing as his body grew rigid. We can only imagine the hell this was for this home. First, the boy’s father had taken his son to the disciples who were said to share in the power of Jesus but they were of no help. The scribes had seized upon this as evidence that Jesus and the Twelve had no real power at all.

Bring him to Me.
Jesus expressed His disappointment at the failure of the disciples and the faithlessness of the whole generation. It seemed He could command demons and diseases but not people’s hearts.

“Bring him to Me.”

When the boy approached Jesus, the spirit within him convulsed, throwing the boy to the ground where he wallowed with foam glistening at his lips. A sense of evil spread through the crowd like a deadly mist. Had Jesus, like the Twelve, met His match?

“How long has this been happening to him?”

The father’s answer was discouraging. Since childhood this happened regularly and he had even been cast into fires and deep waters. The man refused discouragement.

“…if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Jesus answered him this way,

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

The boy’s father’s answer has become the text of many sermons,

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

That was all Jesus needed. He commanded the demon to depart and it did with a cry, convulsing the boy one last time. The boy collapsed as if dead. Jesus took his hand and he rose up healed and delivered.

This Kind
Later when the disciples got of the nerve to ask why Jesus had succeeded when they had failed, he told them.

“This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

Hell has no defense against those who pray and fast and believe!

Scriptures:
Mark 9:14-29
And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You have all power. Help me to believe. Where unbelief lingers in my heart, root it out. I need to move in the realm of Your almightiness so help my unbelief. I will take Your holy name as a shield and Your holy Word a mighty sword. When temptation comes my way help me resist in Your Power. When hell opposes the work You have given me to do, I will call on Your name and proceed. Lord, I believe! Amen.

Song:
Only Believe
Traditional

Only believe. Only believe.
All things are possible, only believe.
Only believe. Only believe.
All things are possible, only believe.

Lord, I believe. Lord, I believe.
All things are possible, Lord, I believe.
Lord, I believe. Lord, I believe.
All things are possible, Lord, I believe.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

TheJesusStory Devotions can also be found at KingdomWinds.com.