Believing God

“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.” Mark 9:21-24

This passage of scripture is one of my favorite stories of the Bible. I love the honesty of the father, telling Christ I believe, yet help me overcome my unbelief. Many times my life mirrors that of the confession of this ailing boy’s father. Lord, I believe. Yet many times my prayer life doesn’t reflect it, my actions don’t show it and my mind is not confident that I believe God. I have no problem believing God for my salvation or believing God to do something in the life of others, but my faith tends to waiver when it comes to my own life issues. Webster’s dictionary defines believing as putting one’s confidence in; to be assured of or to know to be true.

Many times we believe God based on His actions, what He is doing in our lives rather than who He is. Ephesians 1:17-19 says, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

There is power in believing God. Many times unbelief creeps into our lives when we are waiting for a particular prayer to be answered or have been disappointed when we don’t receive what we ask for. We need to learn to believe God based on His character, his personality. What is God’s character? It is love, truth, consistency and the fact that He knows ultimately what is best for us. We can have confidence that God can be fully trusted with every area of our life.

Believe God, He will not fail you.

Lori