A Quick Faith-Check

What a great story from Mark 9: 17 - 27.
 
A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief !" When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 

Oh, we of little faith. 

Why do I stand in awe when Jesus has answered my prayers? Don't get me wrong. I think a little awe is a good thing. It's always nice to be recognized a bit for your talents. But let's look at our faith in a different way.

What if you truly believed that Jesus was listening?
What if you truly believed He WILL and WANTS to answer your prayers?
What would you genuinely, on your knees, ask for?

This is not the genie-in-the-lamp concept here, folks. What do you need that would make your life at ease? What would make your life manageable so that you could turn more attention to HIS work? 

Faith is not a destination -- it's the journey. We don't want to have faith and be done with it. We need to understand that our faith grows and develops. The more we get it, the more we get. I'm not hoping for monetary gain, but I know that the better I'm listening to what He's telling me, the more I know He's listening to me when I need to tell Him something. Faith is the give and take. 

So ... back to the issue at hand ... how much faith are you giving and how much are you expecting to take?
  
What if you truly listened to Jesus?
What if you worked for His will?
What would you ask to do for Him?

I love to try and listen to the words of my Lord and how He would have sounded at the time. Don't read the scriptures in your Bible-voice, hear them as though you had taught your lessons for over two years and the folks were STILL doubting you could help. I think if we used a current translation for 2012, I would add a "Seriously?!" in there somewhere. My Lord is getting frustrated. Frustration is not a sin. He's wondering when the message is going to his. 'If you can?' he sarcastically questions. Allow me my interpretation. 'What do you mean, IF I can?? Seriously, sand-dwellers! If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. I've got this!' 

If faith is give and take -- my Lord, the KING OF KINGS is telling you that He's ready to give AND take! He's giving you grace, peace, love... He's taking your burdens, your sins, your grief. He's wondering when we're going clue in as a group and take us up on His offer. But let's not worry about the group for now. Let's dig in deep, stand in AWE, and take what He has to offer for us personally. 

"Everything is possible for him who believes." Check your scripture again. Who said this? He's giving us hope and a plan. I'm ready to live with this idea every day. I don't need to know that good things will or won't happen - I just need to believe that it's possible. I need to know that I'm at the smorgasbord of something good. Reminds me of an oldie, but a goodie, from the Gaither group:

"Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
But he made something beautiful of my life"

Exactly. This is what gets me EVERY TIME! He is giving me life and love. I only have pitiful gifts to give in return and yet this is exactly the plan. He wants us as He created us; the good, the bad and the ugly. I think He knows that when we are only able to give Him our brokenness that He has us completely. Don't be afraid to lay down your sins and sorrows at His feet. Those come with the best of bows and fancy paper to my King.




But please, don't wait until you're in need like the father in this story was. Believe now! Trust now! Talk to Him now! If He can get rid of a demon-spirit and raise the dead, He can certainly handle our issues. We need to remind ourselves that He truly wants to. Wouldn't you want your child to be demon-free?

C'mon... have a little faith.