“Help My Unbelief!”

Hey there, and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading, titled Help My Unbelief, was written by Adam R. Holes. Where is my faith? Even deep down, right in there, is nothing but emptiness and darkness.

If there be God, please forgive me. The author of those words might surprise you. Mother Teresa. Beloved and renowned as a tireless servant of the poor in Calcutta, India, Mother Teresa quietly waged a desperate war for her faith over five decades.

After her death in 1997, that struggle came to light when portions of her journal were published in the book Come Be My Light. What do we do with our doubts or feelings of God's absence? Those moments may plague some believers more than others. But many faithful believers in Jesus may, at some point in their lives, experience moments or seasons of such doubts. I'm thankful that Scripture has given us a beautiful, paradoxical prayer that expresses both faith and the lack thereof. In Mark 9, Jesus encounters a father whose son has been demonically tormented since childhood. When Jesus said that the man must have faith, everything is possible for one who believes. The man responded, I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief. This honest, heartfelt plea invites those of us who struggle with doubt to give it to God, trusting that he can fortify our faith and hold on to us firmly amid the deepest, darkest valleys we'll ever traverse.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Mark chapter 9, verses 14 through 24. When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

What are you arguing with them about, he asked. A man in the crowd answered, 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. You unbelieving generation, Jesus replied, how long shall I stay with you?

How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me. So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 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. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, we can so resonate with the Father in today's scripture reading.

We do believe, but we still have areas of disbelief. Please fill the void we feel with a sense of your presence and peace. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. I'm Steven Taber and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.