"When my Faith is Weak I need to Trust God"

Mark 9:[19-24]--"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." So 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. So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

A desperate father brings his son to the disciples to be healed. He loves his son, and he is a father who is hurting. He is a man with a son in a hopeless situation. The disciples tried to heal this boy possessed of a demon and had failed. Jesus then says in verse 19--"Bring the boy to me." Everyone present lacked faith that takes possession of demons. The father of the child, the
disciples of Jesus and the scribes lacked this faith. Jesus wholly trusted in the heavenly Father and the disciples didn't, that's why Jesus was the only one present that could heal the boy.
The father cried out for mercy begging Christ to heal his son. "But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" [v. 22] Jesus' response was--"The question is not whether I am able but whether you believe."--Hendriksen

Mark 9:24--"Immediately the boy's father cried out and began saying, "I do believe; help me in my unbelief." What kind of cry was this? It was an "eager, fear-stricken cry" of faith.

Help what does this mean? "Help" is boetheo meaning "to run to the cry" of someone in danger. We hear the cry of a small child and we drop everything and run in the direction of the crying.

He asked for continuous help for his unbelief. "Be constantly helping my unbelief"--Wuest. It was an instant response to the demand of Jesus for full trust in Him. "I am believing. Be constantly helping my weak faith." Hendriksen translates, "Continue moment by moment and day by day to come to my aid, so that I may overcome my unbelief."


C.H. Spurgeon wrote, "As a SIN, UNBELIEF grieves the Spirit of God, but as a WEAKNESS, Unbelief, mourned and confessed, secures the Spirit’s help." As we read this story of UNBELIEF - both the father’s and the disciples’ - Can we not relate to their problem?? Haven’t we all had moments in our lives in which we have said, "Lord, I Believe, but help thou my Unbelief"???

Thank God for the compassion of Jesus. He doesn't just sweep the man aside saying you are faithless. I can not help you. Jesus first met the spiritual need of the father by bringing him to a focused faith.

In Matthew [17:20] "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain,'Move from here to there,' and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you". The disciples had faith less than a grain of mustard seed. Christ says, "It only takes a grain of faith."



When my faith is weak or when my faith faulters I need to trust God. I need to ask God to strenghten my faith, then I need to trust Him and believe that He will give me the faith that I need to trust him.

When my faith Faulters it is costly and it will result in me making poor choices. An example of this can be seen in the lives the Israelites. They wandered forty years in the desert because the nation allowed unbelief to overtake their faith.
Their wavering trust made them miss out on the blessings of God. It proved to be costly to their loved ones as well. Which was proven when the Lord punished the Israelites. Numbers 14:33--"Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert." When their faith faultered they began to complain and disobey God. When they did this God became very angry and punished them. Numbers 14:34--"For forty years-one year for each of the forty days you explored the land-you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you." The Lord punished them for their partial obedience.

"Partial obedience is still disobedience, and it leads to mistakes"--Charles Stanley

Their wavering faith and trust in God affected their confidence and joy. They became less willing to take the risks God was asking them to take. Instead of standing firm they found their confidence eroding. Rather than acting in obedience to God they questioned what the Lord told them to do. Their joy diminished because their unwavering faith led them away from God's will.
Because their faith weakened they weren't experiencing the inner peace of God anymore. Their faith became unsteady.

No matter how unsteady our faith is God wants us to draw near so He can strengthen our trust in Him. Hebrews 10:[22-23]--"let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise."

When He draws near we need to give Him all the Glory.

"When there is little faith there is little praying. When there is an abundance of genuine, persevering faith, there is also fervent, unrelenting prayer. If Jesus came back today, would He be appalled by our lack of faith and prayerlessness, or would He be delighted with our faithful of trust in Him?"--William Hendriksen


Lord, I pray that no matter how I feel I will always make the right decisions to believe and obey you. God, please strengthen my faith through your Holy Spirit. Help my faith to remain steady. Lord help me to always recall your faithfulness to me. Thank You for being faithful. Help me to have a believing heart. Help me stay in your word and stay focused on you so that I will keep a believing heart. I want your perfect will for my life. Lord you can do it. I know you can. I have never been disappointed in you. Lord take away my doubts and fears and help me grow in your grace.

Serving our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison