“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’ ‘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!’”
– Mark 9:21-24
Yesterday, we talked about faith being reliant on something in attitude and action. Today, I want to share something else that’s important to know about faith — it is a gift! Faith cannot be manufactured or created. Instead, it’s something that’s imparted to you by God; think of it as a deposit in your heart. Just like you deposit a check that is worth a predetermined amount of money into your bank account, the Lord has funded your life with a deposit of faith in the amount He sees fit. As you can’t create money out of thin air, you also can’t drum up more belief … you simply act on what He has given to you. The good news is that faith feeds on itself so when you choose to move in what’s there, even if it’s just the size of a tiny seed, He takes it and does something more. Friend, like the story of the father with the demon possessed son in Mark 9, choose to exercise the faith that you do have, even if you have more unbelief than belief! That man had enough trust to ask Jesus to heal his son, even though he wasn’t entirely sure he could. And guess what? Jesus was okay with that! It’s normal to have a little bit of doubt, as long as you have a little bit of belief to go with it. Don’t feel condemned for having questions and uncertainty, just don’t let them kill your faith. As a believer, you have been entrusted with a deposit in your spirit; that assurance is all you need to move mountains and see great things unfold in your life! What great news! |
Prayer
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for depositing the perfect amount of faith in my spirit. I will choose to act on what you have given to me because I believe that you will do great things with it.
Reflection
What can you do today to act on the faith that Jesus has deposited in your heart?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
