February 2024
Trust in God Above All Things.
Mark 9:14-29
14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out[d] and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.
“I believe; help my unbelief!” This is us, we the great paradox. We have faith in God, and we have our lack in faith, all at the same time. As Paul says, we are saint and sinner. There are things in each one of us that would be called strong in the Faith and some things that we lack terribly. Trusting in God above all things is a daily struggle. As Jesus says, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer”. This is most certainly true. When we find ourselves in times of lack or things that drive us away from trusting, we turn to the saving Word of God.
Isaiah 40:28–29
28Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.29He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
This also is to be done together, not on our own. In this, we walk as one and the strength of God is shown. One day you may be the one who provides the strong faith, and, on another day, it is you who are lifted up in times of need. Always done in faith and prayer. God has planed all our days, Psalm 139, and he will fulfill all that we need. The emphasis on “ALL”. God bless you this Lenten season as we trust in God above all things together.
Pastor Quick
