“Help Thou Mine Unbelief!” Mark 9:14-29

Text: “Jesus said unto him, ‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him/her that believeth (believes, and continues to trust/believe).’”

Mark 9:23.

Good morning, Christian racked by unbelief!  Think not for a moment that you are alone in your dilemma, dear friend in Christ. All who are born again of Christ Jesus, suffer bouts of unbelief during periods in our Christian lives.  No regenerate spirit escapes the torment of doubt.  Hear the plea of Christ’s own chosen apostles - “Lord increase our faith!” 

“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.”                   (Luke 17:5)

Unbelief, on the other hand, is countered by faith, and faith in turn is found in one place only.  By daily feeding the regenerate (born again) soul on the inspired Word of God, faith is renewed, and the spirit of unbelief is kept cowering in the corner of one’s old carnal nature, hardly daring to show its traitorous face.  (Romans 10:17)

The new nature given us by the Lord God is continually strengthened by faith and we live victorious Christian lives by the help of God the Holy Spirit.  Praise God for His constant help!

“These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome he world.”  (John 16:31-33)

Let us try to empathize for a moment with the poor distraught father portrayed in today’s Bible passage.  Let us try to feel just a little of his feelings for his stricken son; bear momentarily, a small portion of his great burden of anxiety; suffer in sympathy with him.                  (Romans 12:15)

What a terrible burden to bear! How horrible - to watch a loved one suffer so much day by day. Surely our sympathies lie with those thus afflicted; with the carers of stricken loved ones? God bless those called to serve God in this vital manner! (Isaiah 41:10) (Galatians 6:2)

Yet, as our Bible reading reveals, the Lord will never leave us comfortless, nor without His help.  He is only a prayer away from coming to our aid, and healing our every ailment - according to His own will and purpose, and timing.  (James 5:13-18) Amen.

Scribes, Pharisees, doctors of the day, family, and friends could not help this poor demented boy.  Even Christ’s own earthly disciples could do nothing to cast out the disablement of the stricken child.  But Christ could - and He did!  Praise the Lord for His Almighty compassion and power!  Hallelujah!  What a Saviour!  (Luke 1:37)

How often each of us allow unbelief to keep us from God’s throne of grace! Instead of fervent prayers, we seek medical specialists and psychiatrists to take away the illness!

Let’s not lose our perspective, beloved Christian friend.  We believe that medical science is a gift from God, and has its proper God-ordained place in the healing of the sick.  Yet, we must not let unbelief in God’s power to heal be reinforced by God’s grace given via medical science.  No!  Let us get our priorities right:  God’s throne of grace in prayer comes FIRST.  Then we take our long-term sick to the medical specialists.  God guides the surgeon’s hands, and gives wisdom to the doctors.  “To God be the glory, great things He hath done!”   (Hebrews 4:12-16) (Romans 16:27)

Now let us return to the father racked by doubts; understand some of what he was suffering through his son’s predicament; and see how honest his plea was to the Lord.  In tears, he cried out, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” (V.24)

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“Let us learn from these verses, how dependent Christ’s disciples are on the company and help of their Master.

“We see this truth brought out in a striking manner in the scene which meets our Lord’s eyes, when He came down from the mount. Like Moses, when he came down from Mount Sinai, he finds his little flock in confusion. He sees His nine apostles beset by a party of malicious Scribes, and baffled in an attempt to heal one who had been brought to them possessed with a devil. The very same disciples who a short time before had done many miracles and “cast out many devils,” had now met with a case too hard for them. They were learning by humbling experience the great lesson, “without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)—It was a useful lesson, no doubt, and over-ruled to their spiritual good. It would probably be remembered all the days of their lives. The things that we learn by smarting experience abide in our memories, while truths heard with the ear are often for­gotten. But we may be sure it was a bitter lesson at the time. —We do not love to learn that we can do nothing without Christ.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

If you and I can be as honest and sincere to God about our own personal unbelief - will He not help us also?  Praise God, He is more than able, and more than willing to help us.  Let us cry out to Him in true honesty today, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”

Thought:  Let’s not seek to hide from Omniscient Lord God what He already knows.