Daily Devotion | Day 278
“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’” (Mark 9:22-23, NKJV).
Jesus speaks one language. It’s the language of faith. Consequently, He can’t deal with faith-less communication. Listen to Him voice His frustration: “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?” (Mark 9:19). Jesus was fed up; thank God He didn’t give up on us! By “faithless generation,” He meant a generation that lacked faith. Jesus’ statement tells us about the pivotal role faith plays in our life. Anyway, let’s dive into today’s opening passage.
This man had a son who was tormented by an unclean spirit. He brought him to Jesus’ disciples. Unfortunately, they couldn’t cast out the spirit. Jesus found out and asked the man for some details about his son’s situation. Today’s reading captures part of the man’s response. He is describing the harm the spirit has been inflicting on his son. After that, he tells Jesus, “But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Before we continue, let’s compare this man’s statement with that of a certain leper who approached Jesus for healing: “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean” (Matthew 8:2). Take some time to reflect on the similarities and differences of the two statements.
The man in today’s story had a problem. His faith (if he had any) was shaky. He had problems with ‘ifs’ and ‘buts.’ His own words revealed his unbelief: “But if You can, have compassion on us and help us.” He had doubts, and this wasn’t helping his son. As you know, doubt is an expression of unbelief. Unclean spirits don’t respond to doubtful people. In fact, they thrive in an environment of doubt. However, they can’t stand an environment of faith. With his ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ the man was making his son’s situation worse. Knowing his problem, Jesus gave him a brief lesson on faith: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
As a Christian, you’re going to fly on the wings of faith. Faith is your access key for supernatural breakthrough. To set your faith free, you need to eliminate doubt (‘ifs’ and ‘buts’) from your faith-life. If you’re going to walk with Jesus, you need to speak a language He understands, i.e. faith language. If you’re going to overcome unclean spirits, you need to switch from the frequency of doubt to the frequency of faith. Cooperate with Jesus by faith, and watch your life change.
Blessing: May the Lord command His blessing upon you and your household. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
For further study: Mark 7:24-30
Higher-Self Realities 