Lord, forgive my unbelief

I was tooling along yesterday, listening to K-Love, and out of the blue came a quiet voice in my spirit. "I will never leave you nor forsake you. Have I not been faithful to you every time you called on me?" My only answer could be "Lord, you are faithful, your assurances and promises are true. Forgive my unbelief".

I remembered that phrase from Mark and looked up the passage


MARK 9
14When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

16"What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.

17A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18Whenever 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."

19"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."

20So 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.

21Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. 22"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."

23" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

24Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil[a] spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

26The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

The disciples apparently couldn't cast out the demons, so the father went to Jesus. Here's an interesting part--the father says "if you can, cast out the demon" Jesus replied (I love this) "If I can?" Can you just hear Jesus saying that kind of like "what do you mean, if I can?". Jesus then says-"all things are possible to them who believe." Then the father replied, "I do believe, help my unbelief". And then what happened? Jesus cast out the demon. He didn't say, "apparently you don't believe all the way or hmmmm--you're almost there--catch me later." No! He cast the demon out.

Now that's a loving God--he understands that our faith meter sometimes just can't quite get to the full line (or much off the empty mark in most cases) The super cool part is that God does know our hearts, (our fallible, holey hearts) but still loves us and still hears our cries. There it is--

Mustard grain belief + heart for God = KABLOOM!!! Wondrous things happening all around us.

So today, look up at God and say Lord, I believe, help my unbelief and thank him that He is an awesome, mighty God who will never leave you nor forsake you.


Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.