Mark 9:23-24

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Sometimes I struggle to believe in Jesus completely. Ever felt that way? It’s not that I don’t love him. I do! And it’s not that I don’t believe in him. I do! But there are some times, situations, and areas of life that just seem so hard that I struggle to believe Jesus has a solution.

I do believe Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He sits enthroned higher than all the heavens. He is the ultimate authority. Why then do I have such a tough time believing he is working everything for my good? Why then do I have such a tough time trusting he is in control when so much of life feels out of control?

I believe Jesus died for all my sins. But then there are some sins that just tug on your heart strings. You try to forget the guilt and leave it behind, but what if that sin is a bridge too far and Jesus won’t remove that one?

I’m sure you can relate with these and other times in your life when you both believe and struggle to believe Jesus. Yes, it’s true. A believer can trust in Christ and also struggle to believe Jesus’ mercy, power, and strength is in every aspect of life.

That’s the struggle of the father we meet in Mark 9. He believed in Jesus. He struggled to believe Jesus could release his son from this powerful demon. He had witnessed the devastation and torture the demon inflicted on his son. He came to Jesus in need of help, with trust in Jesus’ help, and a nagging unbelief he wanted gone.

Jesus shows us what he does with those doubts. He replaces them with a foundation for a deeper, fuller faith. He drives away the demon to show this father he is capable of doing all things, even the most difficult and challenging.

And what about you? What about me? Bring the doubts to the Word of God and let Jesus deal with them all. He doesn’t drive away the believer with their doubts. He displays his mercy and shows every reason you can trust him. His Word is filled with every reason to trust him. Bring the doubts and leave with a bigger faith.