HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:24). 

 

I don’t know about you, but many times I have found myself praying this same prayer that the distraught father in Mark chapter 9 prayed.  I find that it is easier to believe that God will help others who are going through struggles than it is to believe for myself.  It is also easier to believe for generalities than it is to trust God for one specific and very desperate need.  I can say I believe that God will meet all my needs, heal my body, and protect me from harm, and I can really mean it, but until my finances are threatened, my health is compromised, or danger is looming near, it is all theoretical.  When these things touch my life, I must learn to apply God’s Word in practical ways.  It is no longer a matter of what God could do, but a matter of what He wants to do right now for me.  This is where my faith can often use a boost: “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” 

 

I believe the prayer of the father of the deaf and dumb boy is one of the most honest prayers in the Bible.  On the one hand it affirms our faith in God, “I believe,” while at the same time acknowledging our need for God’s grace and help in the process of believing, “Help Thou mine unbelief.”  This father understood the two levels of believing: the theoretical and the practical.  He was not afraid to be transparent about his faith and he was ready to acknowledge that believing God can be a struggle in which we often need His help.  Paul told Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith.”  It is often a battle to believe and at such times we shouldn’t feel like we are bad Christians, or something is lacking in us.  Peter tells us, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.”  Our struggles are not unusual or unique – all believers experience them.  Peter also says, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 4:12; 1:7).

 

Theoretical faith, while necessary, is powerless without the practical. James reminds us, “…faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” (James 2:17).  James shed light on the two levels of faith when he wrote, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:19, 20).  Belief in God is important, but it falls short without works.  Even the demons and Satan believe in God.  In fact, the Bible tells us that only the fool says that there is no God (Psalms 14:1).  Many say they believe in God, but their faith never takes them any deeper into spiritual things.  They may occupy a pew somewhere on Sunday morning, but they are not yielding themselves to God and allowing Him to change their nature.  In theory they believe God exists, but they lack the works that would provide substance and evidence of their faith (Hebrews 11:1).  According to God their faith is dead.

 

Believing is a process.  Surprisingly, it starts on God’s end, not ours: “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you.” (John 15:16).  God first speaks His Word to us and quickens it (makes it alive) to our spirit: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).  This sowing of the Word of God is likened to a farmer broadcasting seed into his field.  The way it was done in Bible times wasn’t exactly a science.  The farmer would reach into the pouch or bag of seed that he carried, get a handful of seed, and cast it out into his field as he walked.  Some would get scattered outside the field, and others would fall in less desirable parts of the field where it was stony or thorny or full of vines.  The farmer didn’t worry about that because he knew that enough of the seed would find good ground and give him a bountiful crop.  This speaks of the diverse way in which the Word of God is sown.  God uses preachers, Bible teachers, evangelists, radio and television ministries, Christians books, tracts, and magazines, and godly friends, family, and co-workers to speak His Word to us. 

 

The next step is very important.  It is how we hear the Word that is spoken to us.  It is important – even crucial – because this is where practical faith begins.  “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17).  The type of hearing that God is looking for from us is more than just exposing our ears to certain words.  It is instead an understanding - a comprehension - of what God is asking of us, and a calm surrendering to His will.  Once we hear and believe, there is usually some action that will follow which is directly motivated by what God has spoken.  Noah was warned by God of things not yet seen.  Noah’s faith in what he heard and believed God told him moved him to build the ark (Hebrews 11:7).  When Jesus called to a group of fishermen and asked them to follow Him, their faith moved them to leave their nets and their occupation and follow Him the rest of their lives.  The works that various believers in the Bible did were not works that they dreamed up on their own – they were always a response to God’s calling and the revelation of His will.  Our works are not important to God.  If they are born of the flesh they are carnal and at odds with the Father’s eternal purpose (Romans 8:7, 8).  Imagine an architect who has designed a great cathedral and delivered his blueprints to the builders, but instead of following his master plan each builder, carpenter, and stonemason follows his own imagination and skill and builds what he wants or thinks seems right.  The end product would of course be a mess.  We, too, can make a mess of things when we don’t follow God’s master design.  When certain ones came to Jesus and asked what they needed to do to work the works of God, He said, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him Whom He hath sent.” (John 6:29).  The One Whom God has sent is Jesus, the Living Word, the Heavenly Manna, the Bread of Heaven, the Word of God made flesh! 

 

The temple in the Old Testament is a type and shadow of the body of Christ, God’s church.  Three times in scripture God laid out the design for His temple in great detail.  Once was when He spoke to Moses to build the tabernacle in the wilderness.  After that He spoke to David and gave him the plan to deliver to Solomon his son who would be responsible for the building.  Lastly, God spoke to Ezekiel the Prophet with the plan for the heavenly temple which God Himself would build.  God didn’t intend for any of these plans to be modified, revised, or improved upon.  Oh, if man would just let go of his pride and realize that God knows exactly what He’s doing, and we can’t make it better!  God has said that our ways are not His ways and our thoughts are not His thoughts.  Why, then, do we think that we can do it better?  “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.  Let no man deceive himself.  If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.  For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.  And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.  Therefore let no man glory in men.” (1 Corinthians 3:9-21).

                                                                             

The early apostles found themselves buried in the work of ministering to the needs of the widows and orphans of the church and the daily distribution of funds to those needing relief.  Their calling was to devote themselves to the ministry of the Word of God and to establish sound doctrine in the churches.  They were constantly being distracted by these other needs however.  God directed them to ordain a group of seven deacons who were full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and who could take the oversight of this important work (see Acts 6:1-6).  It wasn’t these seven men who chose to serve as deacons mind you.  It was the church coming together in prayer, and then selecting those men whom God placed on their hearts.  They were then prayed over by the apostles and anointed to this work.  The lesson is that we need to serve where God has called us, not where we think we would shine the brightest.

 

The writer of Hebrews tells us, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”  (Hebrews 11:6).  Here again we see the two levels of faith.  We must believe initially that God exists – that He is.  After that we need to see that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.  Our actions in this life will have consequences in the afterlife.  God will punish evil doers, but He will reward the righteous.  If we really believe this, we will give greater heed to what God says, knowing, and fearing, how it will affect our forever.

 

Jesus had just said to the man who had the deaf and dumb son, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:24).  It is frightening to take that first step out on the water and let go of the boat.  What Jesus asks us to believe often challenges our traditions, our intellect, and even our common sense.  This is as it should be.  As long as we are trusting in anything but Christ, we are still in control, and not God.  Jesus said that there are three steps that are essential to our spiritual growth.  We must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow in Jesus’ footsteps (Luke 9:23;1 Peter 2:21).  It is impossible to do God’s will if we neglect any of these steps.  As long as we are intent on always being first, we will certainly find that we are coming up last.  If we deny ourselves, however, and make ourselves last, God will raise us up.  Before honor comes humility!  We must die to self, and we must be nailed to Jesus’ cross in order to walk in Jesus’ footsteps.  Until we learn this truth, we will continually be going around and around in our spiritual life and never getting anywhere.  We mustn’t be like the Israelites of old who wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years because they refused to believe God four decades earlier when they could have entered the Promised Land.   

 

It is often harder to believe God when we have so many other things to trust in.  Our groceries, banks, doctors, and jobs all provide for our needs so that we don’t have to lean on God.  This is why the Lord has said that He has chosen the poor of this world who are rich in faith.  God has told us that we should be like the sparrows and the wildflowers whom He feeds and dresses every day though they have nothing.  It is a blessing to have all these things, to be sure; but we must never let them become our salvation.  King Asa in the Bible got into trouble because he sought unto the doctors instead of seeking God (2 Chronicles 16:12).  God must always be the first One that we seek in trouble or in need!  When there is a need in your life, pray, pray, pray.  Take that need to God first before running for aid from others.  God may work a miracle right then and there, or He may direct you to where you can find the help you need.  Don’t leave Him out of the equation.  I thank God for the doctors, and for those who are ministering to so many other needs in the world.  God does certainly use them.  At the start of the day, let’s seek the Lord; and at the end of the day, let’s give Him glory!   

 

The deaf and dumb boy who was brought to Jesus by his father was delivered completely that day.  It’s curious that Jesus’ disciples were unable to cast the demon out of this boy.  Jesus clearly expected that their faith should have been sufficient.  After all, He had sent them out before this and they had healed the sick and cast out devils.  Perhaps they should also have learned this prayer, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”

 

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.  For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”  (Hebrews 10:35-39).