Feb 2 - Mark 9:24

"I believe;

help my unbelief!"

Mark 9:24

Jesus offered to heal a man's son.

Oddly, though, Jesus gave the man a condition. The Savior demanded faith, "All things can be done for the one who believes."

The father cried, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

That's a powerful statement. "Jesus, I'm not 100% of the way there ... but I want to be. Take whatever measures I have and keep drawing me further along. I believe, help my unbelief."

Read correctly, that should inspire deeper faith. God rejoices in the direction we're pointing, not the distance we have traveled.

Sadly, I've heard too many people use this as an excuse for smaller amounts of faith. "I believe enough," is one winking reply. Others say, "See, God blesses doubts and imperfections"; and thereby they excuse their lack of discipline.

Both of those are at best half-truths. More truthfully, God honors honesty, and he honors those who actively pursue him. That's what this father did. On behalf of his son, this man pursued Jesus. In faith, he cried out for healing for his boy. In honesty, he confessed his imperfection. Then he begged for more.

This isn't a story about enough. It is a story of pursuit. It is the hunger for more.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who daily cries,

"I believe ... Help ..."