If You Believe

The boy’s father asked Jesus for mercy and, if He could, help his son. When Jesus addressed his faith, the man said he believed but needed help overcoming his unbelief: “Lord I believe; help Thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24b). Jesus healed his son of the evil spirit that had him bound since childhood. But the Bible doesn’t say anything further of the father or son’s spiritual state.

You may have experienced situations where you knew without a doubt God could do anything He chooses but wondered other times if He would. Our confidence in God develops as we exercise it. As life’s circumstances test and stretch our faith and we have confidence in Him when He works in unexpected ways, steadfast persistence is in the making. While we may sometimes cry out to our heavenly Father when doubts arise, He understands our weaknesses. Still, He wants us to continue growing spiritually and trust Him without wavering. We can do this only by first believing God gave His only Son to die for our sins, ask forgiveness, and receive salvation through the gift of His Son, Jesus, who rose from and conquered death’s grave.