Good Thursday! "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) That verse is such an honest and heartfelt prayer. A simple statement of both belief in Jesus and our need for help from Him to believe. I have used that prayer at 3 a.m. often enough. Doubts and fears seem to gather like a distant storm cloud that waits to strike in its full fury at that early hour of the morning. Reassurance comes from the Spirit, but also a reminder to strike that 'un' from my belief in Jesus. That little prefix is a sneaky one. In the dark of the early morning or at the moment before an important meeting, the little 'un' sneaks onto our belief. It acts like a homing missile on our faith, blowing up the feeling of strength in Christ we have worked so hard to gain.
The father of a child cried out to Jesus through his tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" The same cry comes from us at those moments of doubt and fear. Another reminder may be of help here. Our Lord is stronger than those moments of unbelief. My faith may not at those times appear strong, but it is my faith in a strong God that is relief from the dread. Whatever challenges our belief, it is but a temporary thing. Jesus is coming again. God is all-powerful and in total command of every situation. We have nothing to fear, so grab hold of the Spirit and stomp on those fears.
Does it seem that your fears before Christ were easier than after salvation? I think so, or at least mine seem that way. But the strength that comes from Christ also seems more immediate and powerful than back in the days of my wandering. Do I dare believe that God has grown my faith through trial? Yes, I will take that as a good sign. As the first month comes to a close, I still believe that this is going to be a great year.
In Christ,Bucky
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