“All things are possible to the one who believes.” Mark 9:23 (amp)
Jesus makes this statement in the midst of what seems to be impossible circumstances. He is talking to the father of a son who suffers from terrible seizures. No seizure is a pleasant experience, but these seizures cause the boy to fall into the fire and the water. The father is living every moment trying to keep his son alive. Talk about a full time job! I doubt this father ever had a full night’s rest because his fear of his son hurting himself kept him from sleeping peacefully. He learned to live in this place accepting this as his fate in life until….he hears of Jesus.
I’m certain that when this father first heard of the miracles, he was skeptical. I’m sure he had spent time looking for a cure, traveling to a doctor here or there looking for the latest treatment hoping that this would be the medicine that would be “it.” But time after time he was disappointed because nothing produced the healing he longed for his son to have. However, as he kept encountering people who had experienced the healing power of God through Jesus, he begins to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could get the miracle he desperately needed. Finally, he decides to go and see what Jesus could do for his son.
When the father arrives where he heard Jesus would be, he discovers that Jesus is gone, but his disciples are there. The father asks the disciples to heal his son and they pray, but nothing happens. Just when it seems that he and his son will leave disappointed again, Jesus shows up. The man runs to Jesus telling him how he came to the disciples looking for a miracle and nothing happen. Jesus begins to investigate the situation asking how long the boy had suffered with this affliction. The father tells Jesus that the boy has suffered since he was a child and he ends his story by saying, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” The father is desperate!
Notice how Jesus responds, “You say to me, If You do anything? Why all things can be possible to him who believes.” Jesus tells the man, “Sir, what you get is not up to me, it’s up to you, what you receive is based on what you believe.” What Jesus said to the man is not just for him, it’s for all of us. What we receive from God is based on what we believe. Now the father does something smart, he tells Jesus that he believes and asks for help with any areas of unbelief that would stop him from getting his miracle. Guess what? Jesus heals his son! Praise the Lord!
But the story doesn’t end there. The disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t heal the boy. He tells them because of their unbelief. One translation says because you don’t take God seriously enough! The only way to receive anything from God is to believe that HE is willing and able. We must take God at His Word even when the situation seems impossible. What do you need from God? Healing? Peace? Deliverance? Nothing is impossible if you can believe.
As we see the power of God produce change in our lives, we also release our faith to impact the lives of others. We don't want to be like the disciples who couldn't help the father and son because don't believe. Take God seriously and watch faith change your life and the lives of others.
Jesus makes this statement in the midst of what seems to be impossible circumstances. He is talking to the father of a son who suffers from terrible seizures. No seizure is a pleasant experience, but these seizures cause the boy to fall into the fire and the water. The father is living every moment trying to keep his son alive. Talk about a full time job! I doubt this father ever had a full night’s rest because his fear of his son hurting himself kept him from sleeping peacefully. He learned to live in this place accepting this as his fate in life until….he hears of Jesus.
I’m certain that when this father first heard of the miracles, he was skeptical. I’m sure he had spent time looking for a cure, traveling to a doctor here or there looking for the latest treatment hoping that this would be the medicine that would be “it.” But time after time he was disappointed because nothing produced the healing he longed for his son to have. However, as he kept encountering people who had experienced the healing power of God through Jesus, he begins to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could get the miracle he desperately needed. Finally, he decides to go and see what Jesus could do for his son.
When the father arrives where he heard Jesus would be, he discovers that Jesus is gone, but his disciples are there. The father asks the disciples to heal his son and they pray, but nothing happens. Just when it seems that he and his son will leave disappointed again, Jesus shows up. The man runs to Jesus telling him how he came to the disciples looking for a miracle and nothing happen. Jesus begins to investigate the situation asking how long the boy had suffered with this affliction. The father tells Jesus that the boy has suffered since he was a child and he ends his story by saying, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” The father is desperate!
Notice how Jesus responds, “You say to me, If You do anything? Why all things can be possible to him who believes.” Jesus tells the man, “Sir, what you get is not up to me, it’s up to you, what you receive is based on what you believe.” What Jesus said to the man is not just for him, it’s for all of us. What we receive from God is based on what we believe. Now the father does something smart, he tells Jesus that he believes and asks for help with any areas of unbelief that would stop him from getting his miracle. Guess what? Jesus heals his son! Praise the Lord!
But the story doesn’t end there. The disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t heal the boy. He tells them because of their unbelief. One translation says because you don’t take God seriously enough! The only way to receive anything from God is to believe that HE is willing and able. We must take God at His Word even when the situation seems impossible. What do you need from God? Healing? Peace? Deliverance? Nothing is impossible if you can believe.
As we see the power of God produce change in our lives, we also release our faith to impact the lives of others. We don't want to be like the disciples who couldn't help the father and son because don't believe. Take God seriously and watch faith change your life and the lives of others.
