21 Days is 2024
I BELIEVE, HELP MY UNBELIEF
"So He [Jesus] asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 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.” 23 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!” (Mark 9:21-24)
The father in this story voices one of the clearest and most poignant predicaments we face. We long to believe, to be found approved and deserving in order to receive the help we need. Our struggle is with our own weak faith.
Doubt can undermine even the strongest heart. Like rust, it can erode all the steel in our soul. We must protect our hearts from doubt at all cost (Prov.4:23) . We must learn to silence the voice that questions whether God is as good as He says He is. Honesty is the first step to that victory. We must acknowledge when our faith is not strong enough to move the mountain we face. It’s only when we face it that we can begin to overcome it.
Abraham is the Biblical example for faith. God made an impossible promise to him and Abraham believed Him. It wasn’t his faith in Jesus that God credited to him as righteousness. It was Abraham’s ability to trust and believe an impossible promise that counted with God. Somehow, Abraham was able to bypass all the pitfalls doubt creates in us and find his way to a trust that lasted through to the fulfillment of his promise 25 years later.
Romans 4 explains how he did it.
“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Romans 4:19-22).
The first step to overcoming doubt is to not focus on the mountain. Instead of thinking of all the reasons why it couldn’t happen, Abraham chose to think about Who it was that made the promise. He didn’t waver through unbelief.
Unbeleif is different than doubt. Doubt is the reasonable questions that come when we first think about stepping into impossible situations. But, unbelief is a mindset that is bent toward questioning God Himself. When a wheel is warped it wobbles when you try to roll it forward. A warped belief system will waver whenever you try to act in faith. Doubts can be resolved. However, we must repent of our unbelief. It’s the only way to be free of it.
Instead of wavering Abraham actually grew stronger thinking about His promise coming true. He did it by giving glory to God. It’s like a woodstove whose fire grows hotter whenever you add more wood to it. Abraham worshipped and glorified God in order to stoke the fire of his faith.
The result of all his worship was that he became fully convinced that God would do exactly as He promised. In other words, He came to know God. The people you know best are the ones you doubt least. The solution for our doubt is to press into our relationship with God. Get into His Word to know His promises. Spend time worshipping Him. Take time to wait in His presence so you can be fully convinced of His promises to you.
Like the father who needed a miracle for his son, there is a lot riding on our ability to believe God. We owe it to the world to resolve our doubt and become people of great faith. So many people need a miracle. Together, let’s create an atmosphere where miracles happen.
The father in this story voices one of the clearest and most poignant predicaments we face. We long to believe, to be found approved and deserving in order to receive the help we need. Our struggle is with our own weak faith.
Doubt can undermine even the strongest heart. Like rust, it can erode all the steel in our soul. We must protect our hearts from doubt at all cost (Prov.4:23) . We must learn to silence the voice that questions whether God is as good as He says He is. Honesty is the first step to that victory. We must acknowledge when our faith is not strong enough to move the mountain we face. It’s only when we face it that we can begin to overcome it.
Abraham is the Biblical example for faith. God made an impossible promise to him and Abraham believed Him. It wasn’t his faith in Jesus that God credited to him as righteousness. It was Abraham’s ability to trust and believe an impossible promise that counted with God. Somehow, Abraham was able to bypass all the pitfalls doubt creates in us and find his way to a trust that lasted through to the fulfillment of his promise 25 years later.
Romans 4 explains how he did it.
“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Romans 4:19-22).
The first step to overcoming doubt is to not focus on the mountain. Instead of thinking of all the reasons why it couldn’t happen, Abraham chose to think about Who it was that made the promise. He didn’t waver through unbelief.
Unbeleif is different than doubt. Doubt is the reasonable questions that come when we first think about stepping into impossible situations. But, unbelief is a mindset that is bent toward questioning God Himself. When a wheel is warped it wobbles when you try to roll it forward. A warped belief system will waver whenever you try to act in faith. Doubts can be resolved. However, we must repent of our unbelief. It’s the only way to be free of it.
Instead of wavering Abraham actually grew stronger thinking about His promise coming true. He did it by giving glory to God. It’s like a woodstove whose fire grows hotter whenever you add more wood to it. Abraham worshipped and glorified God in order to stoke the fire of his faith.
The result of all his worship was that he became fully convinced that God would do exactly as He promised. In other words, He came to know God. The people you know best are the ones you doubt least. The solution for our doubt is to press into our relationship with God. Get into His Word to know His promises. Spend time worshipping Him. Take time to wait in His presence so you can be fully convinced of His promises to you.
Like the father who needed a miracle for his son, there is a lot riding on our ability to believe God. We owe it to the world to resolve our doubt and become people of great faith. So many people need a miracle. Together, let’s create an atmosphere where miracles happen.
Posted in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting