Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" --Mark 9:24
Not too long ago, I finished a study about believing God. You would think that being so fresh off of that study, my faith would be at an all-time high. Yet this weekend God confronted me once again with my own unbelief. I've been praying about a particular issue, and I have felt God's assurance stronger than usual that He heard my prayers and was going to answer them. It is not on every issue that I clearly feel God's assurance about something, but with this prayer I have. Nevertheless, I wanted a sign. So I meddled, got a sign, and then felt ashamed that I ever doubted.
Even after my study, my own faith still bears no resemblance to Abraham's. In Romans 4:19, we're told that "Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead." Abraham could have looked at the facts--age and infertility--and doubted God's assurance to him. But Abraham chose faith over fact. He knew that God was capable of what looked impossible to man. Abraham never wavered in believing that God listened to him and that God would answer him. I cannot boast the same faith.
I would save myself so much worry and heartache if I would just trust God like Abraham did. It sounds so simple, but I am more like the man in Mark, desperately needing God to fill in the gaps in my faith and help my unbelief, than I am like Abraham, trusting God even in the face of seemingly insurmountable facts. Fortunately, I serve a God who is willing to help my unbelief and forgive me for it. And, even better, He doesn't change His mind even after I doubt. His plan is more powerful than my unbelief, and I thank and praise Him for that.
Posted by Kim at May 8, 2006 01:30 PM