96. A Walk With Jesus (Broken Desperation)

Jesus returns with the three from their trip and they come across a crowd arguing with the other disciples. The man Jesus was about to encounter was a mess, he was desperate, willing to give up his entire social status and worth in the community for the sake of his son. He tried getting help from others, but they were of no use, he was hopeless until Jesus arrived on the scene, he tells Jesus,

"Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." 9:17-18

After Jesus rebukes the people they bring Him the boy who immediately convulses on the ground with seizure like activity, asking the father how long the child has been like this the father replies,

"From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" 9:22

I imagine the father watching over his son every where he went,the boy wouldn't be allowed to swim, or get in a boat, or sit around the fire at night, or climb trees or high places, the father must have lived each and every day with anxiety, worried about his little boy and watching over him. Jesus recognized the hopeless tone in the fathers voice and replies,

"'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” 9:23-24

Before the miracle-hungry crowd could arrive and further humiliate the man in his situation Jesus rebukes the spirit and has pity on the man.

Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 9:26

How long did the boy lie there motionless? The crowd did not reply with a gasp or shock, so it must have been a while, long enough to seem like eternity. What was happening with dad? He had no where else to turn, so he turns to Jesus, and now his son was lying still, was he dead? Was it all for nothing?

Application:
Have you ever prayed that prayer? Have you ever been to tears because you believed in God but you had run out of hope. The man had doubts. And if you will be honest with yourself you will say that you too have doubts. I have doubts, moments of unbelief. How could God change my situation? How could God fix what has been broken so long? Moments where I know I have made the right decision but I don't immediately see the results. What I do see is my circumstances made worse and my concerns lying lifeless on the floor. Sometimes, not always, but certainly there are times when God is answering prayers and working miracles, but all we see is a corpse. It's ok to have doubts, it's ok to acknowledge our weakness, in fact, its more than ok, it's necessary. You can't have trust with out honesty, and if we can't be honest with God, then that's a sure sign we don't truly trust Him. We can trust Him. He is faithful and always has been, I believe that. We can trust Him. Though we may cry out with tears in our eyes I know this to be true, His joy comes with the morning.

"But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up." 9:27

You see, we can trust Him. Don't give up. Don't stop praying.

Listen, "Before the Morning"