HELP MY UNBELIEF

 

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

 

HELP MY UNBELIEF

 

Mark 9:17-24

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

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.

 

          Unbelief is a New Testament word! According to my resources, it is found 16 times in the Authorized Version. While the concept of unbelief is certainly found in the Old Testament, I find it peculiar that the word only occurs in the New. I haven’t yet discovered why that is.

 

          Another peculiarity of unbelief is that it seems to be able to cohabit with its counterpart of belief. The distraught father, in verse 24, said that he believed but immediately asked for divine help for his lingering unbelief. I think most of us understand this emotionally while we can’t reconcile it theologically. It is part of human experience.

 

          The Greek word used in verse 24 is apaistia and means faithlessness. It is akin to the word apistos which begins with a negative article and indicates active disbelieving. How can we believe while actively engaged in a life filled with disbelief?

 

          After three years of teaching the disciples, when it came time for Jesus to die, one betrayed him, one denied him three times and the rest ran away. Yet the resurrection so energized these unbelieving believers that they turned the world upside down! We are a pitiful lot without Jesus, but we are a force to be reckoned with when in right relationship with Him.

 

Mark 4:39-41

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

 

Dear Lord, I believe but active unbelief stubbornly hangs on. Help me to trust you more today. AMEN

 

THE REWARDS OF FAITH!

 

Monday, June 15, 2026

 

THE REWARDS OF FAITH!

 

Ruth 2:10-12

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord  God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

 

          Ruth’s past was tragic! She, being a Moabitess, married a Jewish man who died leaving her in widowhood. The same circumstance gripped her sister-in-law and her mother-in-law. Both decided to return home, which forced Ruth to make a life changing decision. Should she return to her former life in Moab or follow her mother-in-law to Israel? Her choice made all the difference.

 

          Many of us have tragedy and pain in our past. Often the events of life present us with life-changing choices. It is at these times we must avoid the temptation to sink into self-pity. Like Ruth, we must choose the path of trust and place ourselves under the wings of God. The choice seems easy when we read the story because we already know the outcome, but it is not so easy when the outcome is uncertain.

 

          The long journey to Bethlehem with Naomi was filled with danger and uncertainty but Bethlehem was filled with wonderful “coincidences” that made Ruth the great-grandmother of the King!

 

As the hymn writer put it:

 

Well of water ever springing,

Bread of life so rich and free,

Untold wealth that never faileth,

My Redeemer is to me.

 

Hallelujah! I have found Him

Whom my soul so long has craved!

Jesus satisfies my longings,

Through His blood I now am saved.

(Clara T. Williams)

 

Dear Lord, who catches our tears in your bottle, recompense us who have fled for refuge under your wings. AMEN

STRONG ANCHORS!

 

Sunday, June 14, 2026

 

STRONG ANCHORS!

 

Reading: Acts 27:29-40

 

Heb 6:19

19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

 

          Action and adventure pour from the pages of the Bible as we read the account of Paul’s shipwreck in Acts 27. A storm was raging and four strong anchors were cast to secure the ship. The symbolism is not lost on those who are observant.

 

          A political, cultural, religious, and moral storm is raging all around us. Politicians do not govern but rather spend their time and our money investigating and blaming one another. Nothing gets done at a terrible cost. Culturally, we are adrift in a sea of ridiculous opinions and trends. Religion has forgotten her purpose and seems addicted to applause. Morally, we are bankrupt and can’t even be sure of our own gender.

 

          Deep below the storm the anchor holds firm. It is the anchor of God and His Word. The chain tugs and pulls but it doesn’t pull free. It is anchored in the Rock Christ Jesus! If we anchor to this Rock our ship will be secure and one day the storm will be over. We can hoist both anchor and sail and make toward shore.

 

The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

 

Dear Jesus, You are our Rock in a weary land. Let us fix our anchor firmly to you. AMEN