Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
This passage of scripture teaches us that a belief in God is associated with endless possibilities, in any and every situation. In other words, if we can believe it, God can do it, and when we live with this understanding, then we are not intimidated or discouraged by obstacles and hurdles which would otherwise prevent victory in any situation. In the instance recorded in today's scripture, the disciples were faced with a daunting situation of a demon possessed child, whose father had come to them for help in casting out the evil spirit. They attempted to do so but failed miserably, and because of this the faith of the distressed father was severely tested. Let's read:
Matthew 17:14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
This signal rebuke of the devil which was tormenting the boy then caused the disciples to wonder what was the problem why they were unsuccessful in doing so, especially since Christ had previously given them power to cast out demons, and they had actually done so on several occasions. The answer as given by Christ is worthy of note, and should cause us to question why our troubles or requests may not be receiving the answers we seek. Let's read:
Matthew 17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief.
When a decisive faith is exercised in God, it then unlocks omnipotence and allows God to do what may seem as an impossibility to mortal minds, for with God, nothing is impossible. When Christ walked this earth there were times when many sick folk rubbed shoulders with Him, yet nothing happened. But then comes the woman with the issue of blood and touches the hem of His garment and she is instantly healed, simply because she believed so. It's worthy of note that in this instance, the woman did not even ask Christ first, but she believed in His power to do all things, and after Jesus realized what had taken place, He uttered one of the most profound statements concerning her faith in Him. Let's read:
Luke 8:43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole.
When we are faced with difficulties on every side, and there seems to be no way out of our troubles, let us always remember that there is a God in heaven who is omnipotent in power and can do all things and solve any problem, if only we believe. Yes, there are prerequisites to the fulfillment of conditional promises, however the disposition to believe is also of critical importance, because endless possibilities become endless realities, only when we cultivate a living faith in the God of all possibilities. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to exercise an unwavering faith in God, for this is the only way that we can live victoriously. Let's read:
Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!